Obernewtyn Chronicles
Encyclopedia
The Obernewtyn Chronicles is a series of science fiction and fantasy novels
by Australian author Isobelle Carmody
. The series has a post apocalyptic setting, and depict a world long after its destruction by a global nuclear holocaust
.
The series' protagonist
, Elspeth Gordie, is a young girl with mental powers condemned by the series' main antagonist
s, the governing body known as the Council, and the religious authority, the Herder Faction. The novels deal with themes of responsibility
, duty
, prejudice
, discrimination
, tolerance
, and human
and animal rights
.
, with a further two books scheduled to be released to complete the series, however definite release dates are yet to confirmed.
Though initially intended to be the final instalment, The Sending is the penultimate book, with the final book, The Red Queen to be released in 2012.
known as the Great White. The few people left have formed a new way of living, led by a body called the Council.
The Council realized that they had not escaped the effects of the Great White completely unscathed, and began burning any humans or animals born with deformities
. The Council appointed a fledgling religious order
called the Herder Faction to oversee these rituals. The Herders believed that Lud, their name for God, sent the Great White as punishment for a materialistic
society. As a result, they destroyed all artifacts
of the old world known as the Beforetime.
Those who spoke out against the Herders, or researched the period before the nuclear holocaust or its technology, were declared Seditioners (from the word sedition
) and were burnt alive. Council law and the Herder Faction gradually fused, and came to depend on each other. If the two governing bodies did not burn the dissidents, they sent them to work on Councilfarms. Orphan
homes were set up to house those children of Seditioners not claimed by relatives.
It later became clear that mutations of the mind could develop which were not visible at birth. The Council and Herder Faction decided that those few people affected by mental mutations, called Misfits, would be sent to the Councilfarms. They sent the more afflicted Misfits to the remote mountain estate of Obernewtyn to be treated, and to be isolated from normal people.
At Obernewtyn, Elspeth discovers what is really happening to all the Misfits that Madam Vega, the co-owner of Obernewtyn, claims she is curing. Together the Misfits form an uprising and take over Obernewtyn, turning it into a secret refuge for both Misfits and animals.
Elspeth isn't just a Misfit; she is what the animals call the Innle, or Seeker in English, and she must find and destroy the weaponmachines around the world. The weaponmachines are what caused the Great White, and Elspeth has to seek them out to destroy them before the world is plunged into another Great White.
However, the Misfits can't hide forever and must find a place in The Land as it enters a period of turmoil, as rebel
s begin to revolt against the Council and the Herder Faction. The elusive Twentyfamilies' Gypsies, and half-blooded gypsies, also play an important role in the political and social struggles of The Land.
, or the possession of a knack for guessing correctly, seem to be rather widespread, although mostly these abilities exist only in the unconscious
levels of the brain. As such, many individuals with these powers are not aware of their abilities and cannot control them.
Sentient powers are called Talents, and may be used at will by their possessor. The seven most common Talents, as defined and named by the Misfits of Obernewtyn, are farseeking, coercion
, empathy
, healing
, futuretelling, beastspeaking, and teknopathing. A Talented Misfit may possess one or more of these Talents, although one particular power will usually manifest itself more strongly than the others. Some combinations of Talents, such as farseeking and beastspeaking, are quite common, while others, such as coercion and empathy, are rare.
At Obernewtyn, each Misfit belongs to a group, or Guild
, consisting of similarly Talented individuals. A Misfit is free to choose which guild he or she wishes to belong to, but usually the guild corresponding to their strongest Talent is chosen. Each guild is led by a leadership group consisting of a Guildmaster or Guildmistress (who is usually, but not necessarily, Obernewtyn's strongest possessor of that Talent), a Guilden, and one or more Wards. Guilds are responsible for nurturing their members' abilities, and also for contributing something to Obernewtyn as a whole; the Farseeker Guild, for example, is responsible for scrying
out Talented Misfits. Guild leaders meet to discuss the affairs of Obernewtyn in meetings called Guildmerge.
An outline of the seven Talents, examples of powerful possessors, and each guild's master are:
Outside of these seven Talents, other powers have emerged or have been expressed in different ways in the series.
Elspeth possesses a mysterious power known as the killing power, related to her coercion Talent, something she has described as a "dark snake" coiled at the base of her mind. It has the power to kill individuals as shown in the novel Obernewtyn, when she used this power to kill Madam Vega. The killing power can also be used to augment her other powers to increased levels, as shown in Ashling when Elspeth uses it to break through Dragon's mental defences, and in The Keeping Place in order to break through the demonband static.
Other powers to have emerged include Dragon's illusion
-generating abilities, which have been described as the result of a critical mass
of coercion mental power (other coercers display this power but not to the same degree). Freya's empathy also displays abilities outside of the normal range. Her power is described as "enhancing"; allowing people under its effect to perform better than they otherwise would. Ariel's rare empathy and coercion combination allows him to feed his victims ghastly visions of torture
while using empathy to make the victim think they're enjoying the experience. He is described by Domick, a victim of this torture, as an "empath turned inside out".
Two children described in the series, Lidgebaby (first seen in The Farseekers) and Gavyn (The Keeping Place), also have strange abilities. Lidgebaby's coercion powers allowed him to link other Talents to him, effectively binding them to him to the effect that they were compelled to protect and love him above all else. A side-effect of this never before seen merging was the generation of mental static that cancelled out all other powers, as experienced by Elspeth in The Farseekers. Gavyn is described as "adantar", beastspeak for "link". He has an unusual amount of control and effect over animals even though he isn't a beastspeaker. Elspeth and the beasts believed he is some sort of enthraller, whose powers only affect beasts.
In addition, the animals of Obernewtyn have formed the Beast Guild. Their leader is the mare
Avra. The Beast guild have equal rights to participate in Guildmerge. It seems that most, if not all, beasts can communicate with each other mentally. Most species of beast are also able to communicate with any human beastspeaker, although some, such as cats, dogs and horses, are more able to do so than others, such as cows and wolves. As humans cannot beastspeak birds (besides the Agyllians), it is not known if birds can beastspeak each other, or if other animals can beastspeak with birds.
. However their form of communication is not oral
but mental
in nature. This form of mental communication has been described as a blending of word and mental images, with empathised emotion
s. The beast language also uses different words, such as funaga (human), equine (horse), barud (home), gehdra (the invisible ones), jahran (the cold ones), vlar-rei (children of the waves/dolphins), coldwhite (snow), galta (nothing), shortsleep (sleep), longsleep (death), Innle (seeker), and H'rayka (bringer of death). The beast language also runs words together to form a single word, examples include freerunning, strongminded, gladshield, moonwatcher, daywatcher, and fireheart.
Elspeth is the main character in the Obernewtyn Chronicles. Her parents were burned for the crime of sedition when she was young, and was sent to live at Kinraide Orphanage with her older brother, Jes, who nickname
d her Elf). She was condemned to Obernewtyn after Madame Vega came to evaluate the orphans to discover any "mutants" among them, and became suspicious of Elspeth. Elspeth is tall and slim, with brilliant green eyes. She was given the nickname "little sad-eyes" by Brydda Llewellyn, due to her serious demeanour. Her hair is long and black, and she has pale skin.
Elspeth is the Seeker, or Innle in the beast-language. Despite much evidence proving her to be the Seeker, Elspeth constantly denies this. Also known as Elaria to the Gypsies, she's been dubbed a figure of legend
s, and is said to do a number of things. The most important of these are to find the five signs and beat the Destroyer to the computers controlling the weaponmachines in time to prevent a second Great White, and to free the beasts from human dominance.
Elspeth possesses many talents, which sets her apart from other Talented Misfits. She possesses the abilities of farseeking, coercing, beastspeaking, and possibly teknoguilding. Some futuretelling or truedreaming ability is also apparent, although this is vague and uncontrolled. She has the power to heal her own body, bestowed upon her by Nerat the Agyllian in The Farseekers. She also has a separate Talent of killing with her mind that she is too scared to uncover properly, however this ability can also be used to increase the strength of her other Talents. The only Talent she does not seem to have is empathy.
Elspeth becomes betrothed to Rushton Seraphim at the end of Ashling, having realised that what she had felt for Rushton had been love
, but she had been too scared to face it.
Rushton Seraphim
Rushton is the eldest son of the former Master
of Obenewtyn, Michael Seraphim. His half-brother is Stephen Seraphim. He is a Misfit with latent powers. He is approximately nineteen years-old at the beginning of the series, and is tall, with jade green eyes and dark hair. He is originally the heir to Obernewtyn, and as of The Farseekers, Master of Obernewtyn. Rushton is first known to Elspeth as the farm overseer at Obernewtyn, a post he holds while he plots to claim his birthright to Obernewtyn from his defective younger half-brother's evil minders. As Master of Obernewtyn, Rushton transformed Obernewtyn into a haven for Misfits and beasts alike.
Rushton is a Misfit with latent Talent, which he only begins to use at the end of Ashling when Freya, an "empath-enhancer", tries to enhance his abilities. At the end of Ashling he becomes betrothed to Elspeth. She enhances his abilities further than anyone else could.
In The Keeping Place Rushton is kidnapped by Ariel, and tortured into insanity
. While Elspeth is able to cure him, in The Stone Key it is revealed that his trauma
has left him hollow and devoid of the capacity for love. This is displayed towards Elspeth initially with apathy
, which slowly transforms into hatred
and loathing, and finally causes him to relapse into a mad, animalistic state which Elspeth eventually cures once again, this time permanently through use of intense deep probing. All of this, apart from Elspeth's final triumph, was foreseen and orchestrated by Ariel.
Ariel
Ariel is a Misfit with a defective mind and a rare empathy-coercion combination of talents. He is the principal antagonist throughout the series, appearing time and again in positions of power and influence. Intelligent, manipulative
, sadistic
, ambitious, and highly attractive, Ariel was, before Rushton's coup, favoured by the keepers of Obernewtyn and assisted them in their failed quest to find the Beforetime weaponmachines.
In The Farseekers, it is believed that Ariel has run away from Obernewtyn, and is presumed dead. However he has instead ingratiated himself with Henry Druid, the Herder Faction, the Council, and Salamander. Ariel is megalomaniacal, with every new book in the series slowly unfolding his wide-stretching and subtle plan. While it is clear he intends to purposefully reawaken the weaponmachines, and has attempted to seduce Elspeth to his cause, it is unclear if he is aware of how dire the consequences of these actions would be. His motives are often shrouded in mystery, and his apparent ability as a futureteller means that he is always one step ahead of Elspeth and the Misfits.
Identified by Gahltha as H'Rayka—or "one who brings destruction"—Elspeth assumes Ariel is the Destroyer of which Atthis warned her, although this is yet to be determined. A possible interpretation of his title is literal
; that rather than being the Destroyer, he will be responsible for leading another individual—the true Destroyer—to their unwitting fate
.
Dameon
Dameon is a powerful blind
empath, and, with Matthew, one of Elspeth's first friends at Obernewtyn. He is an older misfit who is tall, blind, has an "angular" body, light to white eyes, a slightly large nose, and many freckle
s. Dameon is a very talented empath and Guildmaster of the Empath Guild. He first appears in the first book of the series, Obernewtyn, and has been regarded as one of Elspeth's most loyal friends.
Dameon was the son of a Councilman. He was to inherit all the vast properties of his father after his death, however, upon the death of his father, Dameon's cousin pronounced him a Misfit in order to send him away and gain the land for himself. Ironically, even though to his cousins did not really believe he was a Misfit, he actually is one. Dameon was sent to Obernewtyn where he met Matthew, and later, Elspeth. In The Stone Key it is mentioned that he intends to sue his cousin to regain his lands, and establish a cooperative
farm there.
It has been interpreted by many that Dameon is secretly in love with Elspeth. There are many implications of this throughout the series, but a popular indicator occurs in the third book Ashling. When Elspeth and Rushton become betrothed, Dameon chooses not to return to Obernewtyn. Rushton says he knows the reason that he must stay behind, and Elspeth is surprised that Dameon blushes at this comment. Dameon then creates a "block", so that Elspeth cannot read his thoughts and he cannot read her feelings as they say goodbye. Series author Carmody has stated that she did in fact intend Dameon to be in love with Elspeth.
Matthew
Matthew is a farseeker, and, with Dameon, one of Elspeth's first friends at Obernewtyn. Matthew is the first human with whom Elspeth communicates mentally, and the first Talented human, other than herself, whom she encounters. He is later made farseeker ward, a post he holds until he is captured by slavers and taken to the Land of the Red Queen where he serves slave labour. He is also the most likely candidate for being the Destroyer if Elspeth's beliefs about Ariel are incorrect. Matthew is slightly older than Elspeth, and is described as tall, thin, and "sharp eyed". Matthew is a farseeker's guilden, and was the first to introduce Elspeth to Dameon.
Dragon
Dragon is a young, but wild girl, and powerful empath-coercer. She was discovered and rescued on a farseeker expedition to the West Coast. She acted as the protector of the ruins in Aborium, and used her abilities to project images into people's minds of things of which they were thinking. Her name was unknown, so Elspeth called her Dragon, not just for her flame-red hair and fiery temperament
, but for the image she projected into all their minds on their first encounter in her attempt to scare them away. Dragon is the daughter of the Red Queen from the distant and mysterious Land of the Red Queen, and as such she holds important clues to Elspeth's personal quests in the deep subconscious levels of her mind.
Domick
Domick is one of Rushton's allies
early in the series, and later a coercer guilden. Domick is sent to establish a safe house for Obernewtyn in Sutrium, the capital of The Land. There he infiltrates the Council as Obernewtyn's spy
, creating the alter-ego Mika for this purpose, and his espionage work sends him almost insane. He later renounces his ties to Obernewtyn. He was captured, along with Rushton, by Ariel and taken to Herder Island where he was physically and mentally tortured. He was brainwashed by Ariel, and was infected with disease so as to spread a plague throughout the land.
Kella
Kella is a healer guilden, Elspeth's only female friend, and Domick's bondmate. She accompanies Domick to Sutrium, although his work at the Council cause the two to become estranged
.
Daffyd
Daffyd is an armsman for the Herder renegade Henry Druid, and a Misfit. Daffyd is sympathetic to Obernewtyn's cause and is friends with Elspeth and Rushton, and is required to search for his Misfits friends, who disappeared after the Druid's camp was destroyed by a firestorm.
Pavo
Pavo is a tecknoguilder who died from the rotting sickness while trying to help Elspeth and the other Misfits when they went to Sutrium.
Marumna is a fey
, battered cat, and the first being with whom Elspeth communicates mentally. Maruman endures frequent bouts of madness, and even at his most sane he is prone to making cryptic predictions about Elspeth's fate. It is from Maruman that Elspeth learns most about her roles as the Seeker and Innle. According to prophecy, Maruman is the Moonwatcher, one of Elspeth's guardians in her quest
.
Maruman first appears in the first book, Obernewtyn, where encountered Elspeth at the Kinraide Orphan Home after she alerted a bird to his presence. This was also Elspeth's first experience with her mind powers; after she realised she could hear Maruman cursing, he is the first being she communicates with mentally.
As the Moonwatcher, Maruman travels with Elspeth on most of her dreamtrail wanderings and adventures, protecting and guarding her from unknown forces, and serving as a foil to Gahltha, the horse also known as the Daywatcher. He is known as Yelloweyes to his fellow beasts, and is held in high regard by them. The Agyllians, or flamebirds, are in constant communication with Maruman, resulting in schizophrenic tendencies. It is from Maruman that Elspeth learns most about her roles as the Seeker and Innle, the Innle being destined to free the animals from their human oppressors.
Maruman is a contrary being, and his temperament can shift, without warning, from wise to sullen and difficult. His age is never specified, it is only known that he is ancient, and possibly Beforetime in his origin, which would make him over a century old. As of The Keeping Place, he is left with only one eye, due to his solitary adventures in the radioactive Blacklands.
The last appearance of Maruman is his return to Obernewtyn with Elspeth and Gahltha at the end of The Stone Key. However he is depicted cradled by Elspeth on the cover for the as of yet unreleased sixth book, The Sending, where they are shown alone and walking the deathroad.
Gahltha
Gahltha is a noble, black horse, originally mad and spiteful due to mistreatment by his former human owners, however he becomes wise, calm and understanding due to Atthis and the Agyllians when he decided he wanted to die but they promised him a purpose, to look after Elspeth. Gahltha is Elspeth's mount on all her travels, and is the Daywatcher, the second of Elspeth's fated guardians.
Atthis
Atthis is the leader of the Agyllians, or Guanette birds, a powerful, wise and ancient species of bird. Atthis is also one of Elspeth's main sources of information regarding her quest. Atthis often communicates with Elspeth through Maruman. Agyllians in real life are probably most related to phoenixes, upon which they are based.
Nerat
Nerat is a healer among the Agyllians. In The Farseekers, after Elspeth is found in a cave by three Agyllians and taken to him, Nerat taught her body to heal itself, as she had blocked her pain behind a mental barrier, and if she was not healed she would die.
Darga
Darga is a small dog belonging to young farseeker Jik. Darga proved extremely adept at navigating safe pathways through contaminated land. He was lost and presumed dead in the firestorm
that destroyed Henry Druid's camp, although Maruman subsequently said that Darga's return will be important.
Avra
Avra is Gahltha's mate, and was originally a wild horse but was taken into the farms at Obernewtyn to work while Alexi and Madam Vega were there. Avra gave birth to a young foal in the Keeping Place.
Sharna
Sharna was a young dog that worked at the farms in Obernewtyn. He died to protect Elspeth from Ariel's wolves.
Faraf
Faraf is a young mare
that was found at the start of the novel Ashling, where she was being beaten by a young boy who was her owner. Elspeth told Faraf how to get to Obernewtyn, but in the process of getting there Faraf was captured by Sadorians and was taken to be used in the battle games. Faraf was then gifted to Mirium, the coercer guilden for a bonding present. At the start of The Keeping Place, Faraf was escorted to Obernewtyn to live there. Elspeth calls Faraf "little sister mind", and they become very close.
Brydda is a Seditioner and rebel leader. Brydda befriends Elspeth, and is sympathetic to the Misfits' cause. He invites Obernewtyn to join the rebellion against the Council, although this proposal faces stern opposition from many of the other rebel leaders. Brydda was the chief organiser of the rebel alliance in its early stages, although control has increasingly been wrested from him by others, most notably Malik and his allies.
Malik
Malik is a power hungry rebel leader who is strongly opposed to having the Misfits join the rebellion. Unlike Brydda he has no sympathy for mutants, and regards them as monsters pretending to be human.
Bodera
Bodera is the rebel leader of Sutrium, father of Dardelan, and Brydda's mentor.
Dardelan
Dardelan is Bodera's son. He ends up looking after Bodera, and falls in love with Jakoby's daughter, Bruna, with whom he is going to be bonded.
Swallow is a Twentyfamilies gypsy, son and heir of the D'rekta (the leader of the Twentyfamilies), who later accedes to the D'rektorship himself. Elspeth and Swallow first met when he saved her from an amount of whip lashings from the community in the market. After he saved her he kissed her, but his love for her has never been found, nor Elspeth's love to him, if it ever did occur. He is connected to Elspeth and her quest, possibly as the fated "one of Kasanda blood" who will accompany Elspeth on the final stages of her quest. Swallow has saved Elspeth's life twice, saying he has heard a voice in his head telling him to help her when she is in need. Swallow is a code name; his real name is unknown.
Iriny
Iriny is a half-sister to Swallow who is rescued by Elspeth in Ashling and brought to Sutrium for healing. It is through her that Elspeth was able to gain contact with Swallow.
Darius
Darius is a Twentyfamilies gypsy who has the ability to heal beasts, as well as skills to heal humans.
Maire
Maire is a Twentyfamilies gypsy healer, and is the grandmother of Swallow and Iriny.
Kasanda is a mysterious beforetime seer, also known as Cassandra Duprey, or Cassy. She lived through the Great White and into the first years and decades following it, when the world was in turmoil. Kasanda was the first gypsy D'rekta, and the sister-in-law of the first Red Queen. Before the Great White, she foresaw Elspeth's quest, and following the holocaust, she left scattered clues that will aid Elspeth in fulfilling it.
Jacob Obernewtyn
Jacob Obernewtyn is the wealthy partner of Hannah Seraphim, owner of the Reichler clinic. Obernewtyn was named after his work on Misfits in the Reichler Clinic.
Jakoby is the Sadorian tribal leader, mother to Bruna, and ally of Brydda Llewellyn.
Bruna
Bruna is Jakoby's daughter, and the lover of Dardelan.
Straaka
Straaka was a Sadorian tribesman, who believed he was betrothed to Miryum, and died defending her.
Seresh
Seresh is Jakoby's twin sister, born with a deformed jaw and mouth, who was sent to the Earthtemple, where Jakoby was not allowed to see her. Seresh ran away from the Earthtemple. Guardians believed she had drowned herself, but later Jakoby was told Seresh had not died, but had stolen money and escaped on a ship. Seresh is the most likely candidate for Salamander.
Sutrium is the largest city of the Land, located in the lowlands, and often thought of as the capital. It was formerly the seat of the Council, and became the seat of the governing of the Land by the citizens and rebels. The Misfits make many trips to Sutrium as it is a very important centre in the Land. The Sugreedoon River flows through the western part of the city.
Aborium
Aborium is a large city on the West Coast. It was the main Herder centre of the Land, and the way to access Herder Isle. Aborium is a bayside city and is where Elspeth initially met Brydda.
Murmroth
Murmroth is a large city on the West Coast, and the hardest to access city from Obernewtyn. Murmroth is quite isolated from other cities, apart from those on the West Coast, due to the Blacklands.
Saithwold
Saithwold is a small city with a beach very near to Sutrium, and is often thought of as a suburb of Sutrium, which experiences many troubles. Saithwold is the sister city of Sawlney.
Sawlney
Sawlney is northeast of Sutrium city. Sawlney is often described as a "humble city", though it has become increasingly dangerous for the Misfits. Sawlney is the sister city of Saithwold.
Kinraide
Kinraide is a city north of Sutrium in the lowlands in a forested region. It is near to the town of Berrioc, and contains the orphan home where Elspeth grew up.
Morganna
Morganna is a city on the West Coast.
Herder Isle
Herder Isle is where the Herders go when they want to leave the cities, and is the home of "The One".
Sador
Sador is where the battlegames were held to judge if whether the Misfits were the best allies. It is also the place were the Misfits went when they broke the curse on Rushton's mind that separated him from Elspeth.
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...
by Australian author Isobelle Carmody
Isobelle Carmody
Isobelle Jane Carmody is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature.-Biography:Carmody began work on the highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles at the age of fourteen...
. The series has a post apocalyptic setting, and depict a world long after its destruction by a global nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
.
The series' protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, Elspeth Gordie, is a young girl with mental powers condemned by the series' main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s, the governing body known as the Council, and the religious authority, the Herder Faction. The novels deal with themes of responsibility
Moral responsibility
Moral responsibility usually refers to the idea that a person has moral obligations in certain situations. Disobeying moral obligations, then, becomes grounds for justified punishment. Deciding what justifies punishment, if anything, is a principle concern of ethics.People who have moral...
, duty
Duty
Duty is a term that conveys a sense of moral commitment to someone or something. The moral commitment is the sort that results in action and it is not a matter of passive feeling or mere recognition...
, prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
, discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, and human
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
.
Books of the series
The series consists of five novels published by Penguin BooksPenguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, with a further two books scheduled to be released to complete the series, however definite release dates are yet to confirmed.
- ObernewtynObernewtyn (novel)Obernewtyn is the first novel in the Obernewtyn Chronicles series by Australian author Isobelle Carmody. Carmody began writing it at the age of fourteen, and reworked the novel through high school and university. Much of the inspiration for the protagonist, Elspeth Gordie, comes from her own life...
(1987) - The FarseekersFarseekersThe Farseekers is the second novel in the Obernewtyn Chronicles series by Isobelle Carmody. It was first published by Penguin Books in Australia in 1990...
(1990) - AshlingAshlingAshling is the third book in the Obernewtyn series by Isobelle Carmody.-Synopsis:The powerful Misfit Elspeth is sent to Sutrium, the seat of the ruling totalitarian Council, to seal and alliance between the secret community at Obernewtyn and the rebel forces. Yet her journey takes her far beyond...
(1995) - The Keeping Place (1999)
- The Stone KeyThe Stone KeyThe Stone Key is a 2008 science fiction novel by Isobelle Carmody, set in a post apocalyptic world. It is the fifth book in the Obernewtyn Chronicles.-Background:...
(2008) - The SendingThe SendingThe Sending is the sixth novel in the Obernewtyn Chronicles by Australian author Isobelle Carmody, and is the penultimate book in the series. It was originally intended to be the final book, but this was changed to allow Carmody to elaborate plot strands without it becoming too long...
(2011) - The Red QueenThe Red Queen (Obernewtyn Chronicles)The Red Queen is the seventh and final book in the Obernewtyn series by Isobelle Carmody, and is expected for release in 2012 .-Synopsis:As the long-foreseen Seeker, Elspeth Gordie must continue to walk the black road, still haunted by memories of her love, Rushton...
(projected to be August 2012)
-
- Note: In the United States and Canada, the books are published by Random HouseRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
. Random House split The Stone Key into two books: Wavesong and The Stone Key.
- Note: In the United States and Canada, the books are published by Random House
Though initially intended to be the final instalment, The Sending is the penultimate book, with the final book, The Red Queen to be released in 2012.
Setting
The series is set many years into the future, where the world has been ravaged by a great nuclear holocaustNuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
known as the Great White. The few people left have formed a new way of living, led by a body called the Council.
The Council realized that they had not escaped the effects of the Great White completely unscathed, and began burning any humans or animals born with deformities
Deformity
A deformity, dysmorphism, or dysmorphic feature is a major difference in the shape of body part or organ compared to the average shape of that part.Deformity may arise from numerous causes:*A Genetic mutation*Damage to the fetus or uterus...
. The Council appointed a fledgling religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
called the Herder Faction to oversee these rituals. The Herders believed that Lud, their name for God, sent the Great White as punishment for a materialistic
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
society. As a result, they destroyed all artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
of the old world known as the Beforetime.
Those who spoke out against the Herders, or researched the period before the nuclear holocaust or its technology, were declared Seditioners (from the word sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
) and were burnt alive. Council law and the Herder Faction gradually fused, and came to depend on each other. If the two governing bodies did not burn the dissidents, they sent them to work on Councilfarms. Orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
homes were set up to house those children of Seditioners not claimed by relatives.
It later became clear that mutations of the mind could develop which were not visible at birth. The Council and Herder Faction decided that those few people affected by mental mutations, called Misfits, would be sent to the Councilfarms. They sent the more afflicted Misfits to the remote mountain estate of Obernewtyn to be treated, and to be isolated from normal people.
Plot
Elspeth Gordie and her brother Jes grow up in an orphanage after their parents are burned as Seditioners. Elspeth has enhanced mental abilities and must conceal them in order to avoid being discovered as a Misfit. At the beginning of the first book in the series, Obernewtyn, Elspeth is named a Misfit and is sent to Obernewtyn, a place run by people who claim to investigate the Misfits and look for a cure to their abilities.At Obernewtyn, Elspeth discovers what is really happening to all the Misfits that Madam Vega, the co-owner of Obernewtyn, claims she is curing. Together the Misfits form an uprising and take over Obernewtyn, turning it into a secret refuge for both Misfits and animals.
Elspeth isn't just a Misfit; she is what the animals call the Innle, or Seeker in English, and she must find and destroy the weaponmachines around the world. The weaponmachines are what caused the Great White, and Elspeth has to seek them out to destroy them before the world is plunged into another Great White.
However, the Misfits can't hide forever and must find a place in The Land as it enters a period of turmoil, as rebel
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
s begin to revolt against the Council and the Herder Faction. The elusive Twentyfamilies' Gypsies, and half-blooded gypsies, also play an important role in the political and social struggles of The Land.
Powers of the mind
Powers of the mind play a significant part in the series, and may manifest themselves in a variety of ways and as a variety of abilities. Minor, weak powers, such as the ability to true dreamDream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
, or the possession of a knack for guessing correctly, seem to be rather widespread, although mostly these abilities exist only in the unconscious
Unconscious mind
The unconscious mind is a term coined by the 18th century German romantic philosopher Friedrich Schelling and later introduced into English by the poet and essayist Samuel Taylor Coleridge...
levels of the brain. As such, many individuals with these powers are not aware of their abilities and cannot control them.
Sentient powers are called Talents, and may be used at will by their possessor. The seven most common Talents, as defined and named by the Misfits of Obernewtyn, are farseeking, coercion
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
, empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
, healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
, futuretelling, beastspeaking, and teknopathing. A Talented Misfit may possess one or more of these Talents, although one particular power will usually manifest itself more strongly than the others. Some combinations of Talents, such as farseeking and beastspeaking, are quite common, while others, such as coercion and empathy, are rare.
At Obernewtyn, each Misfit belongs to a group, or Guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
, consisting of similarly Talented individuals. A Misfit is free to choose which guild he or she wishes to belong to, but usually the guild corresponding to their strongest Talent is chosen. Each guild is led by a leadership group consisting of a Guildmaster or Guildmistress (who is usually, but not necessarily, Obernewtyn's strongest possessor of that Talent), a Guilden, and one or more Wards. Guilds are responsible for nurturing their members' abilities, and also for contributing something to Obernewtyn as a whole; the Farseeker Guild, for example, is responsible for scrying
Scrying
Scrying is a magic practice that involves seeing things psychically in a medium, usually for purposes of obtaining spiritual visions and less often for purposes of divination or fortune-telling. The most common media used are reflective, translucent, or luminescent substances such as crystals,...
out Talented Misfits. Guild leaders meet to discuss the affairs of Obernewtyn in meetings called Guildmerge.
An outline of the seven Talents, examples of powerful possessors, and each guild's master are:
| Talent | Description | Known Misfit members | Guildmaster /mistress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farseeking | Essentially telepathy Telepathy Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference... ; the ability to communicate with others mind-to-mind over distance. Possible range depends on the mental strength of the individuals involved. Also the ability to read the minds of others without this power. |
Elspeth, Matthew, Ceirwan, Jik, Wila, Zarak, Kader (a secondary ability) | Elspeth |
| Coercion | Mind-control; the ability to manipulate others' minds without them knowing. One of the three Talents that uses the ability to deep probe. | Gevan, Harwood, Kally, Linnet, Merret, Miryum, Domick, Taril, Dragon, Ariel | Gevan |
| Empathy | The ability to receive emotions at greater strengths than others can, and, in some Misfits, the ability to transmit emotions to others. | Dameon, Miky, Angina, Freya, Dragon, Ariel, Jik, Blyss, Kader, Kally (a secondary ability), Kella (a slight talent) | Dameon |
| Healing | The ability to heal Healing Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area.... others' bodies through the use of a finely tuned mental deep probe. |
Roland, Kella, Kador | Roland |
| Futuretelling | Seeing the future Future The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come... ; performed by sending a deep probe dangerously close to the mindstream, the deepest subconscious Subconscious The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings.... of all sentient beings where all individual minds' past, present and future merge and form one. A probe will hover above the mindstream detecting bubbles which reveal the past or future. |
Maryon, Dell, Christa, Ariel | Maryon |
| Beastspeaking | Farseeking between humans and animals; not all Farseekers are Beastspeakers, nor vice-versa. | Alad, Khuria, Merret, Zarak | Alad |
| Teknoguilding | A deep affinity with machines and a love for study Study Study or studies may refer to:* Research* Study , a drawing or series of drawings done in preparation for a finished piece* Study , a room in a home used as an office or library* Observational study* Education... , especially of technology (and therefore of the Beforetime). Possibly entails some ability to manipulate machines mentally. |
Garth, Pavo, Fian, Jak, | Garth |
Outside of these seven Talents, other powers have emerged or have been expressed in different ways in the series.
Elspeth possesses a mysterious power known as the killing power, related to her coercion Talent, something she has described as a "dark snake" coiled at the base of her mind. It has the power to kill individuals as shown in the novel Obernewtyn, when she used this power to kill Madam Vega. The killing power can also be used to augment her other powers to increased levels, as shown in Ashling when Elspeth uses it to break through Dragon's mental defences, and in The Keeping Place in order to break through the demonband static.
Other powers to have emerged include Dragon's illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
-generating abilities, which have been described as the result of a critical mass
Critical mass
A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties A critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The...
of coercion mental power (other coercers display this power but not to the same degree). Freya's empathy also displays abilities outside of the normal range. Her power is described as "enhancing"; allowing people under its effect to perform better than they otherwise would. Ariel's rare empathy and coercion combination allows him to feed his victims ghastly visions of torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
while using empathy to make the victim think they're enjoying the experience. He is described by Domick, a victim of this torture, as an "empath turned inside out".
Two children described in the series, Lidgebaby (first seen in The Farseekers) and Gavyn (The Keeping Place), also have strange abilities. Lidgebaby's coercion powers allowed him to link other Talents to him, effectively binding them to him to the effect that they were compelled to protect and love him above all else. A side-effect of this never before seen merging was the generation of mental static that cancelled out all other powers, as experienced by Elspeth in The Farseekers. Gavyn is described as "adantar", beastspeak for "link". He has an unusual amount of control and effect over animals even though he isn't a beastspeaker. Elspeth and the beasts believed he is some sort of enthraller, whose powers only affect beasts.
In addition, the animals of Obernewtyn have formed the Beast Guild. Their leader is the mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
Avra. The Beast guild have equal rights to participate in Guildmerge. It seems that most, if not all, beasts can communicate with each other mentally. Most species of beast are also able to communicate with any human beastspeaker, although some, such as cats, dogs and horses, are more able to do so than others, such as cows and wolves. As humans cannot beastspeak birds (besides the Agyllians), it is not known if birds can beastspeak each other, or if other animals can beastspeak with birds.
Beast language
The animals of the Obernewtyn world are described as sentient beings capable of speechSpeech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
. However their form of communication is not oral
Speech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
but mental
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
in nature. This form of mental communication has been described as a blending of word and mental images, with empathised emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s. The beast language also uses different words, such as funaga (human), equine (horse), barud (home), gehdra (the invisible ones), jahran (the cold ones), vlar-rei (children of the waves/dolphins), coldwhite (snow), galta (nothing), shortsleep (sleep), longsleep (death), Innle (seeker), and H'rayka (bringer of death). The beast language also runs words together to form a single word, examples include freerunning, strongminded, gladshield, moonwatcher, daywatcher, and fireheart.
Characters
The Obernewtyn Chronicles are populated by a large cast of characters. Only the most important of these are listed here.Misfits
Elspeth GordieElspeth is the main character in the Obernewtyn Chronicles. Her parents were burned for the crime of sedition when she was young, and was sent to live at Kinraide Orphanage with her older brother, Jes, who nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d her Elf). She was condemned to Obernewtyn after Madame Vega came to evaluate the orphans to discover any "mutants" among them, and became suspicious of Elspeth. Elspeth is tall and slim, with brilliant green eyes. She was given the nickname "little sad-eyes" by Brydda Llewellyn, due to her serious demeanour. Her hair is long and black, and she has pale skin.
Elspeth is the Seeker, or Innle in the beast-language. Despite much evidence proving her to be the Seeker, Elspeth constantly denies this. Also known as Elaria to the Gypsies, she's been dubbed a figure of legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s, and is said to do a number of things. The most important of these are to find the five signs and beat the Destroyer to the computers controlling the weaponmachines in time to prevent a second Great White, and to free the beasts from human dominance.
Elspeth possesses many talents, which sets her apart from other Talented Misfits. She possesses the abilities of farseeking, coercing, beastspeaking, and possibly teknoguilding. Some futuretelling or truedreaming ability is also apparent, although this is vague and uncontrolled. She has the power to heal her own body, bestowed upon her by Nerat the Agyllian in The Farseekers. She also has a separate Talent of killing with her mind that she is too scared to uncover properly, however this ability can also be used to increase the strength of her other Talents. The only Talent she does not seem to have is empathy.
Elspeth becomes betrothed to Rushton Seraphim at the end of Ashling, having realised that what she had felt for Rushton had been love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, but she had been too scared to face it.
Rushton Seraphim
Rushton is the eldest son of the former Master
Master
Master or Masters are terms denoting some kind of rank or status, and may refer to:-Ranks and titles:* Master craftsman in the Medieval guilds* Master , a title...
of Obenewtyn, Michael Seraphim. His half-brother is Stephen Seraphim. He is a Misfit with latent powers. He is approximately nineteen years-old at the beginning of the series, and is tall, with jade green eyes and dark hair. He is originally the heir to Obernewtyn, and as of The Farseekers, Master of Obernewtyn. Rushton is first known to Elspeth as the farm overseer at Obernewtyn, a post he holds while he plots to claim his birthright to Obernewtyn from his defective younger half-brother's evil minders. As Master of Obernewtyn, Rushton transformed Obernewtyn into a haven for Misfits and beasts alike.
Rushton is a Misfit with latent Talent, which he only begins to use at the end of Ashling when Freya, an "empath-enhancer", tries to enhance his abilities. At the end of Ashling he becomes betrothed to Elspeth. She enhances his abilities further than anyone else could.
In The Keeping Place Rushton is kidnapped by Ariel, and tortured into insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
. While Elspeth is able to cure him, in The Stone Key it is revealed that his trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
has left him hollow and devoid of the capacity for love. This is displayed towards Elspeth initially with apathy
Apathy
Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
, which slowly transforms into hatred
Hatred
Hatred is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world...
and loathing, and finally causes him to relapse into a mad, animalistic state which Elspeth eventually cures once again, this time permanently through use of intense deep probing. All of this, apart from Elspeth's final triumph, was foreseen and orchestrated by Ariel.
Ariel
Ariel is a Misfit with a defective mind and a rare empathy-coercion combination of talents. He is the principal antagonist throughout the series, appearing time and again in positions of power and influence. Intelligent, manipulative
Psychological manipulation
Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
, sadistic
Sadistic personality disorder
Sadistic personality disorder is a diagnosis which appeared only in an appendix of the revised third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . The current version of the DSM does not include it, so it is no longer considered a valid...
, ambitious, and highly attractive, Ariel was, before Rushton's coup, favoured by the keepers of Obernewtyn and assisted them in their failed quest to find the Beforetime weaponmachines.
In The Farseekers, it is believed that Ariel has run away from Obernewtyn, and is presumed dead. However he has instead ingratiated himself with Henry Druid, the Herder Faction, the Council, and Salamander. Ariel is megalomaniacal, with every new book in the series slowly unfolding his wide-stretching and subtle plan. While it is clear he intends to purposefully reawaken the weaponmachines, and has attempted to seduce Elspeth to his cause, it is unclear if he is aware of how dire the consequences of these actions would be. His motives are often shrouded in mystery, and his apparent ability as a futureteller means that he is always one step ahead of Elspeth and the Misfits.
Identified by Gahltha as H'Rayka—or "one who brings destruction"—Elspeth assumes Ariel is the Destroyer of which Atthis warned her, although this is yet to be determined. A possible interpretation of his title is literal
Literal
Literal may refer to:*Literal and figurative language, taken in a non-figurative sense*Literal translation, the close adherence to the forms of a source language text...
; that rather than being the Destroyer, he will be responsible for leading another individual—the true Destroyer—to their unwitting fate
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
.
Dameon
Dameon is a powerful blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
empath, and, with Matthew, one of Elspeth's first friends at Obernewtyn. He is an older misfit who is tall, blind, has an "angular" body, light to white eyes, a slightly large nose, and many freckle
Freckle
For other uses of the word, see Freckles .Freckles are clusters of concentrated melanin which are most often visible on people with a fair complexion. A freckle is also called an "ephelis". Freckles do not have an increased number of melanin producing cells...
s. Dameon is a very talented empath and Guildmaster of the Empath Guild. He first appears in the first book of the series, Obernewtyn, and has been regarded as one of Elspeth's most loyal friends.
Dameon was the son of a Councilman. He was to inherit all the vast properties of his father after his death, however, upon the death of his father, Dameon's cousin pronounced him a Misfit in order to send him away and gain the land for himself. Ironically, even though to his cousins did not really believe he was a Misfit, he actually is one. Dameon was sent to Obernewtyn where he met Matthew, and later, Elspeth. In The Stone Key it is mentioned that he intends to sue his cousin to regain his lands, and establish a cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
farm there.
It has been interpreted by many that Dameon is secretly in love with Elspeth. There are many implications of this throughout the series, but a popular indicator occurs in the third book Ashling. When Elspeth and Rushton become betrothed, Dameon chooses not to return to Obernewtyn. Rushton says he knows the reason that he must stay behind, and Elspeth is surprised that Dameon blushes at this comment. Dameon then creates a "block", so that Elspeth cannot read his thoughts and he cannot read her feelings as they say goodbye. Series author Carmody has stated that she did in fact intend Dameon to be in love with Elspeth.
Matthew
Matthew is a farseeker, and, with Dameon, one of Elspeth's first friends at Obernewtyn. Matthew is the first human with whom Elspeth communicates mentally, and the first Talented human, other than herself, whom she encounters. He is later made farseeker ward, a post he holds until he is captured by slavers and taken to the Land of the Red Queen where he serves slave labour. He is also the most likely candidate for being the Destroyer if Elspeth's beliefs about Ariel are incorrect. Matthew is slightly older than Elspeth, and is described as tall, thin, and "sharp eyed". Matthew is a farseeker's guilden, and was the first to introduce Elspeth to Dameon.
Dragon
Dragon is a young, but wild girl, and powerful empath-coercer. She was discovered and rescued on a farseeker expedition to the West Coast. She acted as the protector of the ruins in Aborium, and used her abilities to project images into people's minds of things of which they were thinking. Her name was unknown, so Elspeth called her Dragon, not just for her flame-red hair and fiery temperament
Temperament
In psychology, temperament refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such as introversion or extroversion, that are often regarded as innate rather than learned...
, but for the image she projected into all their minds on their first encounter in her attempt to scare them away. Dragon is the daughter of the Red Queen from the distant and mysterious Land of the Red Queen, and as such she holds important clues to Elspeth's personal quests in the deep subconscious levels of her mind.
Domick
Domick is one of Rushton's allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
early in the series, and later a coercer guilden. Domick is sent to establish a safe house for Obernewtyn in Sutrium, the capital of The Land. There he infiltrates the Council as Obernewtyn's spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
, creating the alter-ego Mika for this purpose, and his espionage work sends him almost insane. He later renounces his ties to Obernewtyn. He was captured, along with Rushton, by Ariel and taken to Herder Island where he was physically and mentally tortured. He was brainwashed by Ariel, and was infected with disease so as to spread a plague throughout the land.
Kella
Kella is a healer guilden, Elspeth's only female friend, and Domick's bondmate. She accompanies Domick to Sutrium, although his work at the Council cause the two to become estranged
Estranged
-Personnel:* Axl Rose – lead vocals, piano, production* Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, production* Slash – lead guitar, production* Duff McKagan – bass, production* Matt Sorum – drums, production-External links:*...
.
Daffyd
Daffyd is an armsman for the Herder renegade Henry Druid, and a Misfit. Daffyd is sympathetic to Obernewtyn's cause and is friends with Elspeth and Rushton, and is required to search for his Misfits friends, who disappeared after the Druid's camp was destroyed by a firestorm.
Pavo
Pavo is a tecknoguilder who died from the rotting sickness while trying to help Elspeth and the other Misfits when they went to Sutrium.
Beasts
MarumanMarumna is a fey
Fey
Fey may refer to:* A word meaning "wild or crazy acting", often ascribed to supernatural causes and evidenced by abnormal behavior...
, battered cat, and the first being with whom Elspeth communicates mentally. Maruman endures frequent bouts of madness, and even at his most sane he is prone to making cryptic predictions about Elspeth's fate. It is from Maruman that Elspeth learns most about her roles as the Seeker and Innle. According to prophecy, Maruman is the Moonwatcher, one of Elspeth's guardians in her quest
Quest
In mythology and literature, a quest, a journey towards a goal, serves as a plot device and as a symbol. Quests appear in the folklore of every nation and also figure prominently in non-national cultures. In literature, the objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and...
.
Maruman first appears in the first book, Obernewtyn, where encountered Elspeth at the Kinraide Orphan Home after she alerted a bird to his presence. This was also Elspeth's first experience with her mind powers; after she realised she could hear Maruman cursing, he is the first being she communicates with mentally.
As the Moonwatcher, Maruman travels with Elspeth on most of her dreamtrail wanderings and adventures, protecting and guarding her from unknown forces, and serving as a foil to Gahltha, the horse also known as the Daywatcher. He is known as Yelloweyes to his fellow beasts, and is held in high regard by them. The Agyllians, or flamebirds, are in constant communication with Maruman, resulting in schizophrenic tendencies. It is from Maruman that Elspeth learns most about her roles as the Seeker and Innle, the Innle being destined to free the animals from their human oppressors.
Maruman is a contrary being, and his temperament can shift, without warning, from wise to sullen and difficult. His age is never specified, it is only known that he is ancient, and possibly Beforetime in his origin, which would make him over a century old. As of The Keeping Place, he is left with only one eye, due to his solitary adventures in the radioactive Blacklands.
The last appearance of Maruman is his return to Obernewtyn with Elspeth and Gahltha at the end of The Stone Key. However he is depicted cradled by Elspeth on the cover for the as of yet unreleased sixth book, The Sending, where they are shown alone and walking the deathroad.
Gahltha
Gahltha is a noble, black horse, originally mad and spiteful due to mistreatment by his former human owners, however he becomes wise, calm and understanding due to Atthis and the Agyllians when he decided he wanted to die but they promised him a purpose, to look after Elspeth. Gahltha is Elspeth's mount on all her travels, and is the Daywatcher, the second of Elspeth's fated guardians.
Atthis
Atthis is the leader of the Agyllians, or Guanette birds, a powerful, wise and ancient species of bird. Atthis is also one of Elspeth's main sources of information regarding her quest. Atthis often communicates with Elspeth through Maruman. Agyllians in real life are probably most related to phoenixes, upon which they are based.
Nerat
Nerat is a healer among the Agyllians. In The Farseekers, after Elspeth is found in a cave by three Agyllians and taken to him, Nerat taught her body to heal itself, as she had blocked her pain behind a mental barrier, and if she was not healed she would die.
Darga
Darga is a small dog belonging to young farseeker Jik. Darga proved extremely adept at navigating safe pathways through contaminated land. He was lost and presumed dead in the firestorm
Firestorm
A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires, and wildfires...
that destroyed Henry Druid's camp, although Maruman subsequently said that Darga's return will be important.
Avra
Avra is Gahltha's mate, and was originally a wild horse but was taken into the farms at Obernewtyn to work while Alexi and Madam Vega were there. Avra gave birth to a young foal in the Keeping Place.
Sharna
Sharna was a young dog that worked at the farms in Obernewtyn. He died to protect Elspeth from Ariel's wolves.
Faraf
Faraf is a young mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
that was found at the start of the novel Ashling, where she was being beaten by a young boy who was her owner. Elspeth told Faraf how to get to Obernewtyn, but in the process of getting there Faraf was captured by Sadorians and was taken to be used in the battle games. Faraf was then gifted to Mirium, the coercer guilden for a bonding present. At the start of The Keeping Place, Faraf was escorted to Obernewtyn to live there. Elspeth calls Faraf "little sister mind", and they become very close.
Rebels
Brydda LlewellynBrydda is a Seditioner and rebel leader. Brydda befriends Elspeth, and is sympathetic to the Misfits' cause. He invites Obernewtyn to join the rebellion against the Council, although this proposal faces stern opposition from many of the other rebel leaders. Brydda was the chief organiser of the rebel alliance in its early stages, although control has increasingly been wrested from him by others, most notably Malik and his allies.
Malik
Malik is a power hungry rebel leader who is strongly opposed to having the Misfits join the rebellion. Unlike Brydda he has no sympathy for mutants, and regards them as monsters pretending to be human.
Bodera
Bodera is the rebel leader of Sutrium, father of Dardelan, and Brydda's mentor.
Dardelan
Dardelan is Bodera's son. He ends up looking after Bodera, and falls in love with Jakoby's daughter, Bruna, with whom he is going to be bonded.
Gypsies
SwallowSwallow is a Twentyfamilies gypsy, son and heir of the D'rekta (the leader of the Twentyfamilies), who later accedes to the D'rektorship himself. Elspeth and Swallow first met when he saved her from an amount of whip lashings from the community in the market. After he saved her he kissed her, but his love for her has never been found, nor Elspeth's love to him, if it ever did occur. He is connected to Elspeth and her quest, possibly as the fated "one of Kasanda blood" who will accompany Elspeth on the final stages of her quest. Swallow has saved Elspeth's life twice, saying he has heard a voice in his head telling him to help her when she is in need. Swallow is a code name; his real name is unknown.
Iriny
Iriny is a half-sister to Swallow who is rescued by Elspeth in Ashling and brought to Sutrium for healing. It is through her that Elspeth was able to gain contact with Swallow.
Darius
Darius is a Twentyfamilies gypsy who has the ability to heal beasts, as well as skills to heal humans.
Maire
Maire is a Twentyfamilies gypsy healer, and is the grandmother of Swallow and Iriny.
Beforetimers
KasandaKasanda is a mysterious beforetime seer, also known as Cassandra Duprey, or Cassy. She lived through the Great White and into the first years and decades following it, when the world was in turmoil. Kasanda was the first gypsy D'rekta, and the sister-in-law of the first Red Queen. Before the Great White, she foresaw Elspeth's quest, and following the holocaust, she left scattered clues that will aid Elspeth in fulfilling it.
Jacob Obernewtyn
Jacob Obernewtyn is the wealthy partner of Hannah Seraphim, owner of the Reichler clinic. Obernewtyn was named after his work on Misfits in the Reichler Clinic.
Sadorians
JakobyJakoby is the Sadorian tribal leader, mother to Bruna, and ally of Brydda Llewellyn.
Bruna
Bruna is Jakoby's daughter, and the lover of Dardelan.
Straaka
Straaka was a Sadorian tribesman, who believed he was betrothed to Miryum, and died defending her.
Seresh
Seresh is Jakoby's twin sister, born with a deformed jaw and mouth, who was sent to the Earthtemple, where Jakoby was not allowed to see her. Seresh ran away from the Earthtemple. Guardians believed she had drowned herself, but later Jakoby was told Seresh had not died, but had stolen money and escaped on a ship. Seresh is the most likely candidate for Salamander.
Places
SutriumSutrium is the largest city of the Land, located in the lowlands, and often thought of as the capital. It was formerly the seat of the Council, and became the seat of the governing of the Land by the citizens and rebels. The Misfits make many trips to Sutrium as it is a very important centre in the Land. The Sugreedoon River flows through the western part of the city.
Aborium
Aborium is a large city on the West Coast. It was the main Herder centre of the Land, and the way to access Herder Isle. Aborium is a bayside city and is where Elspeth initially met Brydda.
Murmroth
Murmroth is a large city on the West Coast, and the hardest to access city from Obernewtyn. Murmroth is quite isolated from other cities, apart from those on the West Coast, due to the Blacklands.
Saithwold
Saithwold is a small city with a beach very near to Sutrium, and is often thought of as a suburb of Sutrium, which experiences many troubles. Saithwold is the sister city of Sawlney.
Sawlney
Sawlney is northeast of Sutrium city. Sawlney is often described as a "humble city", though it has become increasingly dangerous for the Misfits. Sawlney is the sister city of Saithwold.
Kinraide
Kinraide is a city north of Sutrium in the lowlands in a forested region. It is near to the town of Berrioc, and contains the orphan home where Elspeth grew up.
Morganna
Morganna is a city on the West Coast.
Herder Isle
Herder Isle is where the Herders go when they want to leave the cities, and is the home of "The One".
Sador
Sador is where the battlegames were held to judge if whether the Misfits were the best allies. It is also the place were the Misfits went when they broke the curse on Rushton's mind that separated him from Elspeth.