The Runelords/Characters

Gaborn Val Orden
Prince of the wealthy nation of Mystarria, son of King Mandellas Drakken Orden. Wants to marry his dad's best friend's daughter, who has nevr met, but stalked for a few hours a year ago. Turns out to be the Earth King, the Earth's champion, tasked to save the seeds of mankind through the Dark Times to Come.


 * Because Destiny Says So: Gaborn was supposed to be named Erden Geboren, as was the name of the first Earth King, but otherwise fits the prophecy of the new Earth King appearing.
 * Celibate Hero: Through the first book, right up until he gets married.
 * Chronic Hero Syndrome
 * Determinator
 * Disappeared Dad: To Fallion and Jaz
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Trying to kill the man you promised to save as a seed of mankind pisses Earth off.
 * Turn the Other Cheek: The philosophy Gaborn learns from a diagram and eventually accepts as the core of his responsibility to mankind.

Iome Sylvarresta Orden
Princess of Heredon and daughter of King Jas Laren Sylvarresta. Well loved by her people and beautiful beyond normal human limits due to endowments of glamour received as a baby. Turns out to be a competent right hand Action Girl to Gaborn in his quest to save humanity.


 * Action Girl/Action Mom/Badass Grandma: At various points in her life
 * Family Versus Career: Would really love to have the fighting against the forces of darkness hellbent on wiping out mankind done before her kid is born
 * Royals Who Actually Do Something

Ivarian Borenson
Captain of the Mystarrian royal guard and personal bodyguard to Gaborn. Borenson is the most loyal retainer to Gaborn and his father, and is always the first man chosen for difficult tasks.


 * Arranged Marriage: By Gaborn, who sees a girl searching for a potential husbadm, then turns and looks at Borenson, who he thinks needs a wife. Actually turns out to have been a good decision, thinks to Gaborn's blossoming Earth Powers.
 * Badass Family: Everybody with the surname Borenson, be they born to it, married in, or adopted, somehow turns out to be a badass.
 * Determinator: After he loses his endowments
 * Groin Attack: Found out the hard way what happens to men who look at Raj Ahten's wives.
 * Redheaded Hero
 * Slasher Smile: The worse the fighting gets, the more he laughs

Binnesman
Aged, wise, and powerful, the Earth Warden Binnesman, while always first and foremost a servant of his Power, has advised the Sylvarrestas formany years, as well as using his healing powers and medicines from his garden to aid those in need. Is the first to spot Gaborn's budding powers, and anoints him with soil, marking him as chosen by Earth. Claims to work on Earth's behalf to protect all creatures from men to rats to insects, but secretly his mission is to protect mankind above the rest.


 * Badass Grandpa: Even after prematurely aging himself to summon a warrior formed from the Earth, Binnesman still exudes badass.
 * Elemental Powers: Serves the Earth and the Earth serves him in return.
 * The Obi-Wan: Oddly enough, he doesn't die, despite having survived long past the usual expiration date for beloved mentors.

Raj Ahten
The emperor of Indhopal, stretching across the entire southern half of the continent, Raj Ahten is a man with a mission. He seeks to become the Sum of All Men, an immortal figure who draws upon the strength of millions of devoted followers, so that he can save mankind from the Reavers, or so he seems to believe.


 * Evil Overlord
 * Even the Guys Want Him: The drawback to taking endowments of glamor from women as well as men.
 * More Than Mind Control: So many endowments of glamor and voice that everybody who sees or listens to him wants to believe anything he says without question. Binnesman claims that he's not immune to his own powers; he's been listening to his own proclamations for so long that he's become completely self-deluded.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: Destroys a fortified castle with only his voice.
 * Playing With Fire: Keeps a group of Flameweavers with him as his closest advisers and magical specialists. Eventually gives in to their requests that he join them in serving Fire.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: Destroys a fortified castle with only his voice.
 * Playing With Fire: Keeps a group of Flameweavers with him as his closest advisers and magical specialists. Eventually gives in to their requests that he join them in serving Fire.