Codex Alera/Characters

Tavi of Calderon, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio, ,
Tavi, raised by his Aunt Isana and Uncle Bernard in the Calderon Valley, is apparently the only Aleran in the world to not possess the power of Furycraft. While this is often a major disadvantage, in order to compensate he's learned to rely on something else—his brain. After the events of the first book, he begins studying at Alera Imperia to join the imperial spy network known as the Cursors, and joins the newly-formed First Aleran Legion under the name Rufus Scipio.

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Tropes that apply to Tavi

 * Awesomeness By Analysis: Mostly done offscreen. The one time we see this in action, it's both awesome and terrifying as Tavi decides how to kill High Lady Antillus and Crassus with a stick.
 * Badass: Oh yes, he is:
 * Badass Bookworm: While not as much as Ehren, he's really clever.
 * Badass Normal: By Aleran standards, this actually makes him a Handicapped Badass.
 * Battle Couple: With Kitai.
 * Becoming the Mask: He starts Cursor's Fury as a civillian Cursor who joins the First Aleran undercover as a junior officer, despite having zero time in the Legions. When the book ends, he's become The Captain, so much so that he spends the next years serving primarily as a Legionnaire instead of a Cursor.
 * Foreshadowing: Magnus outright tells him that this will happen, with regard to his military career: "When you start, it'll be an act. At the end, it won't be an act anymore."
 * The Call Put Me on Hold
 * The Captain: The fourth book is called Captain's Fury for a reason.
 * The Chessmaster: Metaphorically as well as literally. Even the First Lord takes a couple of lessons from him.
 * Combat Pragmatist: Well, when everybody can rip you to shreds with their bare hands, playing fair doesn't seem very important. He says once that he never wants to be in a "fair" fight ever again.
 * Consummate Liar: He was raised by one of the greatest Living Lie Detectors alive. He needed to develop this skill in order to get away with anything.
 * Crazy Enough to Work: The majority of Tavi's plans are this. So much so that Kitai can correctly surmise where Tavi chose to have the Final Battle by thinking of the one place only a lunatic would go willingly. It's pretty much his motto. One of his plans gives an ally heart palpitations.
 * This is the man who.
 * Guile Hero
 * The Hero
 * I Just Want to Be Special: Although less and less so as the books go on.
 * Actually it's I Just Want to Be Normal in this world.
 * I Shall Taunt You: Preferred manner of keeping his opponents off balance. He wins a duel against one of the most dangerous swordsmen in Alera with just six words.
 * Meaningful Name: Two! meaningful names
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: He eventually gains the title
 * No wonder he's Badass!
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He had no way of knowing that cutting himself in the Wax Forest would wake up the Vord Queen, but it nevertheless nearly destroyed the world.
 * Older Than They Look: In the first couple of books in particular; Amara assumes he's about 12 when she first sees him, to which he grouchily replies that he's fifteen.
 * Refuge in Audacity: Tavi's way to stop the Icemen destroying the Shieldwall?
 * And, say, every other thing he does.
 * Everything he does is awesome and/or inventive. Some of it fits this trope, some doesn't. In addition to how he handles the Icemen, though, another example quite clearly fits this trope: In Captain's Fury, he breaks half a dozen laws, and in ways that clearly could not be covered up or ignored. How does he handle it?.
 * Secret Legacy
 * Smart People Play Chess: Or the local equivalent, ludus.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome: He's a bit of a late bloomer, but by Captain's Fury, he's repeatedly mentioned to be quite tall and rather attractive.
 * Warrior Therapist: Against
 * Secret Legacy
 * Smart People Play Chess: Or the local equivalent, ludus.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome: He's a bit of a late bloomer, but by Captain's Fury, he's repeatedly mentioned to be quite tall and rather attractive.
 * Warrior Therapist: Against


 * Xanatos Gambit: Several in the last three books.

Kitai
Kitai is a girl of the humanoid Marat race, and Tavi's frequent partner, foil, and love interest. Tough and athletic, like Tavi she has learned to rely on her wits to beat powerful Crafters. Like all Marat, she has bonded telepathically with a being of another species, but is unique in that her chala is sentient (namely, Tavi). As a result, she often feels isolated from both cultures. .

Tropes that apply to Kitai

 * Action Girl
 * Alerans Are Insane: Routinely points out the irrationality of human society. Tavi generally agrees.
 * Badass Abnormal: For her race; Badass Normal for an Aleran.
 * Battle Couple: With Tavi.
 * Cute Little Fangs
 * Deadpan Snarker: Kitai has very little respect for... well, much of anything, really.
 * Dual-Wielding: Her fighting style of choice.
 * Foil: For Tavi.
 * Hot Amazon
 * I Just Want to Be Normal: She wanted a horse.
 * Non-POV Protagonist
 * The Lancer: Again, to Tavi.
 * Phantom Thief: In Academ's Fury.
 * Pretend Prejudice: Half her lines are about how much Alerans suck. She still seems to get along with them pretty well.
 * Proud Warrior Race Girl
 * Samus Is a Girl: Tavi takes an embarrassingly long time to figure out that Kitai's a girl when he first meets her.
 * The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Doroga is a bit fugly, but still pretty cool.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: All Marat have pale, colorless hair.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: All Marat have pale, colorless hair.

Isana
Isana is Tavi's aunt. Born in the Calderon Valley, she is an incredibly powerful watercrafter but lacks access to other Furies. Isana distrusts Sextus, but becomes increasingly entangled in Aleran politics as the series goes on.

Tropes that apply to Isana
"At some point I would like a few weeks to go by in which I do not faint during a crisis."
 * : In Princeps' Fury and First Lord's Fury.
 * A-Cup Angst: She was always a little peeved that her body looked more like that of a young girl than that of a full-grown woman. This, in fact, made her think that she'd never attract a man.
 * Badass Longcoat: Begins wearing one in Princep's Fury, on the urging of Araris. It's thick leather with interwoven steel plates; not quite as good as legion armor, but better than nothing, and easier for her to fight and move in.
 * The Empath: A result of her powerful Watercraft ability.
 * Damsel in Distress: If there's a situation where she can be kidnapped and/or swoon, she'll take full advantage of it. Lampshaded:

"Doroga: "If I ever invade Calderon again, it will be in summer.""
 * "Failure to Save" Murder: The reason she hates Gaius Sextus and didn't trust him with Tavi's safety.
 * Healing Hands: Give her enough reason, and she doesn't even need a tub of water to help her.
 * An Ice Person: Once she figures out that yes, snow counts as water.
 * An Ice Person: Once she figures out that yes, snow counts as water.


 * Living Lie Detector: She sees through Gaius Sextus at one point.
 * Mama Bear: Everything she does, she does because she wants to protect Tavi.
 * Making a Splash: Very possibly the most powerful watercrafter in all of Alera, High Lords included.
 * Older Than They Look: She's probably in her mid-forties, but could pass for eighteen if it wasn't for some grey in her hair.
 * Took a Level in Badass: She gets a lot more powerful after
 * However, it's unclear exactly why that is: maybe she got them from the swim in the ocean in a stressful situation, but then again maybe she had that power all along or and she didn't realize it. In either case, any extraordinary use of her power in her homeland is more normal where she is familiar with the place, and because she's a nobody from the hinterlands, she just assumed she couldn't possibly be that powerful otherwise.
 * Unhappy Medium: She's as good or better at watercrafting as some of the High Lords, but doesn't share their ability to block out emotions with metalcrafting. This leaves her curled up in a little ball from emotional overload a couple of times.
 * Warrior Therapist: When she fights in Princeps' Fury, explaining to him as she's about to die that

Bernard, Count Calderon
Bernard is Tavi's uncle and Isana's brother, possessing the power of earth and woodcrafting. He begins the series as a steadholder (wealthy farmer), but ultimately takes on a noble title as Count of Calderon and passes his steadholt to Isana. He is in love with Amara, and the two are married (at first in secret, but later openly).

Tropes that apply to Bernard

 * The Archer: Like a lot of powerful woodcrafters.
 * Battle Couple: With Amara.
 * Dishing Out Dirt
 * Green Thumb
 * Happily Married: To Amara. Now if only she'd stop having doubts every five chapters...
 * Hot Dad: Ten years before the story starts, he lost his wife and two daughters. As for the attractiveness part, well Amara is quite smitten with him.
 * Good-Looking Privates: If he's hot now, then twenty or so years ago we can only assume he was more so.
 * Mighty Glacier: Especially compared to Amara.
 * Not Now, Kiddo: Bernard to Frederic, regarding the vord parasite he's captured in a cup.
 * On the other hand, the other Citizens pretty much ignore him when he tries to warn them about the Vord. After trying in vain for a while, he decides "screw it" and starts covertly building up Calderon's defenses instead.
 * Retired Badass: Ex-military, in fact.

Amara, Countess Calderon
Amara is a windcrafter and a Cursor, one of the First Lord's elite messengers, spies, and general agents. She comes to the Calderon Valley while trying to return to the capital and warn Sextus of Aquitaine's plotting, thereby setting off much of the books' action. She is married to Bernard, but sometimes angsts about her fears of infertility (Alerans place great value on having children who will inherit their powers, to the point that a man of Bernard's rank is legally obliged to have children).

Tropes that apply to Amara

 * Action Girl
 * Battle Couple: With Bernard.
 * Blow You Away: An Air Bend- Um. Crafter.
 * Broken Pedestal:
 * Fragile Speedster: Might be the fastest flier in the Realm, but without Earth and Metal crafting, she's not the most durable.
 * Happily Married: To Bernard.
 * Law of Inverse Fertility: As mentioned, she's afraid she's infertile, and Citizens are required to have kids. She avoids marrying him for a while on I Want My Beloved to Be Happy logic and even after that remains insecure. Bernard eventually gets exasperated and points out that they could just adopt.

Fidelias ex Cursori,
Fidelias was a Cursor and Amara's mentor, until he betrayed the First Lord for Aquitaine. A master spy and manipulator, he has greatly helped Aquitaine's bids for power. In any event, Fidelias is absolutely loyal to only one thing—his country—and will do whatever he thinks is best for it, no matter how terrible others might think it.

Tropes that apply to Fidelias

 * Badass: While serving as a grunt on the Shieldwall, he was raised to the House of Valiar for exceptional bravery, making a raid deep into Icemen territory to save children. Alone.
 * At one point in Cursor's Fury, he takes a javelin in the gut. What does he do? Try to pry it out; when that doesn't work, he cuts down the shaft to make himself more comfortable, and continues giving orders and fighting until he passes out.
 * Big Bad Friend: To Amara at the beginning of the first book.
 * Consummate Liar: As he said to Odiana: "Yes, I do. No, I don't. The sky is green. I am seventeen years old. My real name is Gundred."
 * Evil Counterpart: To Bernard, same crafting, both straightforward, mentors, and a little gruff at times. Too bad Fidelias is evil(ish).
 * Heel Face Revolving Door: Started out on the side of the Big Bad, then switched to the First Aleran, then almost to the Big Bad's dragon, before sticking to Tavi.
 * I Fight for the Strongest Side: ...Because they're most likely to be able to preserve the Realm.
 * Fallen Hero
 * Famed in Story: Fidelias has a reputation as one of the best Cursors, which makes his defection a mass Oh Crap moment for his former colleagues.
 * No-Nonsense Nemesis: Fidelias never gloats. He never does anything he hasn't thought out and planned ahead for, and he never offers his enemies any second chances or a dramatic showdown.
 * Non-Indicative Name: "Fidelias" means "faithful." Which he... um, isn't.
 * Reliable Traitor: After turning on Gaius, he serves the Aquitaines fairly faithfully despite not liking them much personally.
 * Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves:
 * That Man Is Dead:
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting: Like many watercrafters, though it's much harder for him due to it not being his specialty. It takes months and is apparently quite painful.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist
 * Wild Card
 * Worthy Opponent: Gaius Sextus appears to hold him in high regards even after he turns face.
 * That Man Is Dead:
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting: Like many watercrafters, though it's much harder for him due to it not being his specialty. It takes months and is apparently quite painful.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist
 * Wild Card
 * Worthy Opponent: Gaius Sextus appears to hold him in high regards even after he turns face.
 * Worthy Opponent: Gaius Sextus appears to hold him in high regards even after he turns face.

Araris Valerian
One of the greatest swordsman who ever lived and once Septimus's close friend, he is believed dead by most of the world and uses the identity of to watch over and instruct Tavi. .

Tropes that apply to Araris

 * Becoming the Mask: A bit of a twist on the actual description: he isn't a con man, and he only clings to his alternate identity out of guilt. But he clings hard.
 * Berserk Button: Threaten Isana in front of him. Go ahead. I dare ya.
 * Big Damn Heroes: A lot.
 * The Cavalry: Likewise, a lot. Especially in Cursor's Fury, when
 * Extra Ore Dinary: His metalcrafting ability makes him the deadliest swordsman alive.
 * Failure Knight
 * First Episode Spoiler: Some fairly critical details about him are revealed early on, which can make him tricky to talk about without giving plot twists away.
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars: Played with;
 * The Mentor: To Tavi. He's also the first person to realise that Tavi is capable of furycraft.
 * My Greatest Failure: He blames himself for Septimus's death because
 * My Greatest Second Chance
 * Not So Stoic: It took one hell of a lot of effort, though.
 * Scars Are Forever: That isn't going away any time soon.
 * The Stoic: Not even Isana can pick up on his emotions most of the time. That's right, he's stoic on the outside and the inside.
 * The Swordmaster: Widely renowned as the single greatest swordsman in Alera. After a while, the narration simply stops describing most fights, summing them up in lines like, "Nine men rushed him. They died."
 * Scars Are Forever: That isn't going away any time soon.
 * The Stoic: Not even Isana can pick up on his emotions most of the time. That's right, he's stoic on the outside and the inside.
 * The Swordmaster: Widely renowned as the single greatest swordsman in Alera. After a while, the narration simply stops describing most fights, summing them up in lines like, "Nine men rushed him. They died."

Doroga, Headman of the Gargant Tribe
Doroga is Kitai's father and one of the most important Marat chieftains. He is blunt and earthy, but anyone who speaks with him for long realizes that he is surprisingly intelligent and canny. Doroga is the first to recognize the menace the Vord pose to the world, remembering them from old Marat legends, and also sends Kitai to learn about the Alerans, bringing her into contact with Tavi again.

Tropes that apply to Doroga

 * Big Damn Heroes: On a regular basis.
 * The Big Guy: His chala is a giant ground sloth. It goes with the territory.
 * Boisterous Bruiser
 * Bond Creatures: Walker the gargant.
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: As Kitai puts it, the problem with Doroga is that he does not seem wise.
 * Cannot Spit It Out: Not Doroga himself, but he's fond of mocking Alerans (primarily Amara and Bernard) about their inability to talk candidly about sexual topics.
 * Cool Old Guy: Hell yeah.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Kitai had to get it from somewhere. Particularly memorable was his editorializing when asked to mediate a juris macto.
 * Genius Bruiser: No one ever expects a huge, ugly, Cool Old Guy to be quite as canny as Doroga is. He's a decent tactician, learned to read and write surprisingly quickly, has pulled off at least one pretty good Batman Gambit, and has a tendency to function as all-purpose wisdom dispenser whenever Jim Butcher needs to give a character some advice.
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy: Oh yes. Doesn't mean he's not a realist.
 * Sleeves Are for Wimps: He's so heavily muscled that he had to tear the legionaire's tunic he wears to make it a vest; otherwise he couldn't get it on.
 * Super Strength: As a result of his chala being a gargant. Most clearly demonstrated in the first book, where he picks up a coffin-sized boulder and throws it. And even manages to hit his target.

Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera
Gaius is the ruler of Alera, the most powerful Crafter alive, and essentially Albus Dumbledore without the facade of eccentric senility. While often ruthless, he is both intelligent and wise and everything he does is for the greater good of Alera. All respect Gaius's abilities, but some (like Isana) think he's lost touch with the common people and is therefore dangerous. Others (like Aquitaine or Kalarus) want to take his throne themselves.

Tropes that apply to Sextus

 * Anti-Hero
 * Badass Grandpa
 * The Chessmaster
 * Chrome Champion
 * "Failure to Save" Murder: Several characters resent or hate Sextus because of his apparent failure to protect Septimus.
 * Moral Event Horizon: In-universe example: is unwilling to trust him ever again after
 * Older Than They Look: Like all powerful watercrafters - in this case he looks like he's in his forties, when he's about 90.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: When he isn't about to collapse due to his age and overwork catching up to him. Witness Captain's Fury,, or Princeps' Fury, where he
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Shoot the Dog: Better than the alternative.
 * When his character is introduced, hetakes a potshot: he admits he is willing to sacrifice a loyal retainer to test the fidelity of another one. He assumed the loyal one would lose the fight.
 * When his character is introduced, hetakes a potshot: he admits he is willing to sacrifice a loyal retainer to test the fidelity of another one. He assumed the loyal one would lose the fight.

Antillar "Max" Maximus
Illegitimate son of one of the most powerful High Lords, Max is Tavi's roommate at the Academy and a close personal friend. Lives life for the moment,  Powerful in Earthcrafting (especially the ability to induce lust), with a respectable skill in watercrafting as well. As one of the nobility, is also capable in all five elements. Seems to have fallen into the role of Tavi's primary sidekick.

Tropes that apply to Max

 * The Big Guy
 * Boisterous Bruiser
 * The Charmer
 * Handsome Lech: Occasionally verging on Chivalrous Pervert.
 * Heroic Bastard
 * Looking for Love In All the Wrong Places
 * Mood Whiplash: Causes it just by wandering in and out of scenes.
 * Parental Issues: Well, he is a bastard son of a High Lord. Additionally,
 * Sarcastic Devotee: Despite his "Sacred Right" to complain, Max would give his life for Tavi.
 * Sarcastic Devotee: Despite his "Sacred Right" to complain, Max would give his life for Tavi.

Ehren ex Cursori
Another of Tavi's classmates, and a Cursor. Like Tavi, tends to rely more on his wits than his furies.

Tropes that apply to Ehren

 * Badass Bookworm
 * Badass Normal: The in-universe equivalent, since Tavi is practically a Handicapped Badass by their standards. Ehren isn't particularly powerful compared to all the Citizens he hangs around, but he still manages to kick a decent amount of ass.
 * The Chessmaster: Very good at thinking of contingency plans. And, it turns out, at manipulating people - in First Lord's Fury, he.
 * Fan Nickname: The Crowbegotten Batman.
 * : In the last book.
 * Knife Nut: At one point someone identifies him as a Cursor because "No one else would have had that many knives on him."
 * Manipulative Bastard: See The Chessmaster.
 * The Quiet One: Doesn't usually talk much, which is rather handy in a spy.
 * The Smart Guy
 * The Smart Guy

Lord Aquitainus Attis
Mostly off-screen in the early books, Attis is one of the two high Lords in serious contention for the position of the next First Lord. Sleeping with the First Lord's wife may give him some advantage at this...

Tropes that apply to Aquitaine

 * Anti-Villain
 * Big Bad: Subverted. He's built up as this in the first half of the series, but is upstaged in the second by the real Big Bad, the Vord Queen.
 * Big Bad Duumvirate: With his wife. Technically most of her schemes are aimed at getting him the throne, but thats only because as a woman thats the closest she'll ever get to true power. In many ways Invidia was the Big Bad more than he ever was, since she was more actively involved in the plot
 * The Chessmaster
 * Enemy Mine: With Gaius and the Vord. He's the first High Lord to stand with Gaius, and calls out Rhodes for being an obstructive idiot, because he knows that the priority is for Alera to survive - and at the same time, he can give a boost to his position.
 * He Who Fights Monsters: He wanted to take down Lord Rhodes and Lord Kalarus, power hungry manipulators who were behind his friend's death. He ended up becoming just like them.
 * : Shown in the last book.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: No, really!
 * In the last book he points out that had the heroes not foiled his plans in the first book, the country would have been unified to face the threat instead of delaying so long bickering and backbiting.
 * Conversely,
 * Xanatos Speed Chess: Plots within plots within plots!
 * Xanatos Speed Chess: Plots within plots within plots!

Lady Aquitainus Invidia
At least as ambitious as her husband, Invidia is cynical, manipulative and lethal. She'll keep her word, in public at least, but only because her reputation for fair dealing is more important than anything else she'd gain - and in private she'll do whatever is most expedient. As a high Lady, she's utterly lethal on the battlefield when she needs to be.

Tends to use watercrafting disguises a lot. In Captain's Fury,.

Tropes that apply to Invidia

 * Big Bad Duumvirate: More or less with her husband- it was a marriage of political advantage for both of them, and they both know it. In fact Invidia is probably more of a Big Bad than he ever was, since she is much more involved in the story and in actually manipulating people or dealing with their underlings- for instance, he was as annoyed with Senator Arnos as anyone else in the military, but Invidia was actually pulling Arnos' strings the whole time.
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Every character with significant dealings with her has attempted to take her sudden but inevitable betrayal into account, with levels of success ranging from "filleted for their trouble" to "left Invidia naked in the middle of the woods."
 * Dark Action Girl: Only when she needs to in the first few books.
 * Enemy Mine: Is manipulated into helping Gaius a couple of times, since she can't take over if someone else does first.
 * Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: She's a bit better at this than a Vord, but not by much- she's just too cynical to really get altruism.
 * Fan Nickname: "TEBI" - That Evil Bitch Invidia.
 * Green-Eyed Monster: And, well... look at her name.
 * Lady Macbeth
 * Meaningful Name: "Invidia" means "Envy."
 * Meaningful Rename: Isana names her for her Chronic Backstabbing Disorder.
 * The Starscream: To pretty much everyone she's ever worked with. She doesn't seem to be happy unless she's plotting against someone, even if that someone is on her same side.
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting
 * : See Green-Eyed Monster.
 * Xanatos Gambit: Has nothing on her husband, though.
 * : See Green-Eyed Monster.
 * Xanatos Gambit: Has nothing on her husband, though.

Aldrick ex Gladius
Probably the second greatest swordsman alive, fears only the swordsman who once beat him - the legendary Araris Valerian. Lover of Odiana, and a mercenary in the service of the Aquitaines.

Tropes that apply to Aldrick

 * Catch Phrase: "Only Araris has ever beaten me, and you're not Araris" and variants thereof.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: Odiana was so broken by her treatment before they met that she wants him to put a discipline collar on her. He always refuses.
 * The Rival:
 * The Stoic
 * Out of Focus: Doesn't do much after the halfway point.
 * Unholy Matrimony: Stoic mercenary + Ax Crazy Cloudcuckoolander = Adorable couple.
 * You Killed My Father: Sextus, apparently, though there's more reasons than that behind his revolutionary actions.

Odiana
A powerful watercrafter who was enslaved as a young girl - a mind-warping slave collar combined with her powerful empathy and the trauma of slavery has driven her mad.

Tropes that apply to Odiana

 * Axe Crazy
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: Suffering from the aftereffects of such.
 * Broken Bird: They don't come more broken.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: If, again, a lot more violent than usual.
 * The Empath
 * Living Lie Detector
 * The Mad Hatter: Seems quite self-aware about her own insanity.
 * The Ophelia
 * Out of Focus: Doesn't do much after the halfway point.
 * Rape as Backstory
 * Unhappy Medium: Hoo boy. Being just as your empath powers are coming in does nothing good for your sanity.

Ambassador Varg
Varg is the Canim Ambassador to Alera. He's a lot smarter than most Alerans give him and his kind credit for, and recognizes Tavi's capabilities fairly quickly.

Tropes that apply to Varg

 * Badass Grandpa: literally and figuratively.
 * Big Badass Wolfman
 * The Chessmaster: And teaches some to Tavi.
 * Genius Bruiser: He's both one of the smartest and physically most powerful characters in the books- and considering this series, that's saying something.
 * Large Ham: When given a reason, he can be quite the melodramatic guy.
 * WHO WILL DRINK WITH ME?
 * The Nicknamer: Gives Tavi the Meaningful Nickname Tavar.
 * The Not-Secret: Apparently, Canim have a sense of smell strong enough to identify family relations. This means that he doesn't need to be told who Tavi's are. In fact, Varg knew two books before Tavi did. This also creates some Fridge Brilliance when one thinks about the scene where they met - Tavi was bluffing, pretending to be.
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy
 * Smart People Play Chess: He taught Tavi to play ludus.
 * Wolf Man
 * Worthy Opponent: To Tavi, and the Alerans in general. The Canim actually prefer having worthy opponents to friends: they're people you can respect and even like, but will always keep you on your toes.
 * You Didn't Ask: When Tavi goes to explain that, Varg's response is basically, "Yes, I know. I can smell it." He then goes on to mention that ; he just figured he shouldn't say anything, because who knew what those crazy Alerans were thinking and maybe it was normal.

Sarl
A Canim ritualist, who is Varg's political rival. Undermines Varg by seeking alliances behind his back.

Tropes that apply to Sarl

 * Blood Magic
 * Dirty Coward: Tavi knows it, and uses it to make him look like an idiot. Awesomely.
 * Evil Sorcerer
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy: Subverted. Sarl's a Cane and therefore you'd expect him to be one of these, but he's really a coward who only fights after Tavi goads him into it.
 * Smug Snake
 * The Starscream: To Varg.
 * Treacherous Advisor: Though Varg saw through him pretty well.
 * Wolf Man

Nasaug
Leader of the Canim warriors who arrive in Alera with Sarl, Nasaug is honorable yet ruthless and above all a highly competent military commander. He is one of Tavi's primary antagonists (albeit a respected one) in the middle part of the series.

Tropes that apply to Nasaug

 * Anti-Villain
 * Authority Equals Asskicking
 * Badass Family:
 * Dragon with an Agenda: To Sarl at first. Lampshaded later by Varg, who describes his actions at the beginning of the war as
 * The Starscream
 * Dragon Ascendant: Takes over complete command of the Canim forces after.
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy
 * Smart People Play Chess: Including with the enemy commander in the middle of a bloody battle.
 * The Strategist
 * Wolf Man
 * Worthy Opponent
 * Xanatos Gambit: As Tavi observes, his strategies never serve just a single purpose.

Astorius Magnus
A senior Cursor, under whom Tavi trains.

Tropes that apply to Magnus

 * Cool Old Guy
 * Crouching Scholar Hidden Badass
 * Deadpan Snarker: He likes to point out when Tavi is acting a little ridiculous.
 * One of these lines in Princeps' Fury provides a Crowning Moment of Funny:
 * The Mentor
 * Older Sidekick
 * Servile Snarker: "And Your Highness expected me to listen?"
 * They Called Me Mad: Magnus invokes this when celebrating the success of his and Tavi's furycraft-free catapult at the beginning of Cursor's Fury. (Magnus isn't exactly a Mad Historian, but to be fair, the fools at the Academy did call him mad.)

Antillus Crassus
Max's legitimate half-brother, and their father's heir.

Tropes that apply to Crassus

 * A Father to His Men: Maybe moreso than Tavi; not quite as popular, perhaps, but less willing to put lives in danger. Still generally liked and respected.
 * The Atoner: For
 * Only Sane Man: Considering his brother is not the most far-thinking person, Ehren is a somewhat cold spy, his boss's plans are all Crazy Enough to Work, and his boss's girl does whatever the hell she wants to, Crassus is pretty much forced into this position.
 * The Rival: To Max, in a more friendly way as the story progresses.
 * The Strategist: His main weakness is that he is too cautious (which nearly costs him dearly), but even that usually serves him well since he is able to sense traps more easily than anyone else. In pretty much every other respect he's an excellent leader and tactician.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: When he finds out that, he doesn't take it well and calls him out on it.

Captain Demos
Captain of the Slive, a merchant vessel that indulges in smuggling as long as they can afford the bribes. Originally recruited by Ehren to carry word of the Canim in Cursor's Fury, he's later hired to help Tavi transport Varg after their Prison Break in Captain's Fury and remains a part of the team through Princeps' Fury and First Lord's Fury. A powerful woodcrafter, as evidenced by the fact that the Slive itself is one big woodcrafting he can control at will.

Tropes that apply to Demos

 * Anti-Villain: Originally. He was the one who brought Sarl back to Canea; in his first appearance he threatens a pawnshop owner with murder, and in his second appearance he nearly follows through  and then proceeds to kidnap all the women and children he can find on his way out of town. Sure, he's technically saving them from being murdered by a horde of Canim, but only so he can sell them into slavery. And yet he's somehow very likable. Like a Darker and Edgier Captain Jack Sparrow.
 * In the following book Tavi notes that he doesn't have enough chains on his ship to be a full-time slaver; he probably never really sold them as slaves and really was just trying to save him. It's just that, he's a pirate- he has a reputation.
 * The Captain
 * Green Thumb
 * The Stoic: He has two emotions: Blank, and pissed.

High Lord Kalarus
The other main candidate (besides Aquitainus) as the First Lord's successor. The province of Kalare is one of the few where slavery is still rampant, and Kalarus has taken the twisted furycrafting of slave collars and weaponised it.

Tropes that apply to Kalarus

 * Ax Crazy: The First Lord thinks that Kalurus would be a bit easier to deal with if he weren't quite so mad.
 * Badass: One can't deny his ballsiness, he pulls a Night of the Long Knives and turns the stars red.
 * The Caligula: Equally, one can't deny that this guy is a few legionares short of an army.
 * The Chessmaster:
 * Well, it half-succeeded; Gaius saw only on way to defeat him, and though Kalurus never thought of it, Gaius was pissed that it came to that
 * Compensating for Something: Lady Placida mentions he had a little problem bedding women back at the academy. Either he was impotent or he just was a bastard.
 * The Ghost: In Captain's Fury. He is alluded to in 'Furies Of Calderon'' since Kord got his slave collars from his province.
 * I Have Your Wife: Kidnaps to prevent their armies from actively opposing him, and.
 * Kick the Dog: As far as he's concerned, the day is wasted if he hasn't found at least three small furry animals to kick before lunchtime.
 * Orcus on His Throne: In Captain's Fury-.
 * Orcus on His Throne: In Captain's Fury-.

Kalarus Brencis Minoris
Son of Lord Kalarus and classmate of Tavi's at the Academy - where he was a vicous bully. Hasn't improved since.

Tropes that apply to Brencis

 * Captain Ersatz: There's a fair bit of Draco Malfoy in him (Brencis is nastier, though, by virtue of having inherited a bit of his dad's instability), though it's unknown if that was deliberate.
 * Even funnier when you consider that Tavi is a skinny kid with black hair and green eyes...
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He may be a coward and a jerk, but when the going gets tough he responds in kind. Also, he creates slaver collars more powerful then Invidia's, though that's at least in part because of tricks he learned from his father.
 * Dark Chick: Male variant, Completely selfish, he has no higher motives than having a good time.
 * Dirty Coward: When he ends up facing he Screams Like a Little Girl and runs. Understandable, though.
 * The Hedonist: After he spends his time having threesomes and taking heroin.
 * Mind Rape: One of the best at it.
 * The Rival: In Academ's Fury. When he shows up next, he's kind of outclassed.
 * Smug Snake
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Not a good trope to be when your dad's a Complete Monster.
 * Yuri Fanboy

Rook
Head of the Bloodcrows (Kalarus's equivalent of the Cursors), she is Kalarus's chief spy and assassin; a minor but important recurring character.

Tropes that apply to Rook

 * Break the Cutie: What her training seems to have involved.
 * Dark Action Girl
 * Dropped a Bridge On Her:
 * : How Kalarus keeps her under control.
 * The Mole: as
 * Punch Clock Villain
 * The Mole: as
 * Punch Clock Villain

Senator Arnos
The politician in charge of military spending, who dismisses any report of military threats that don't fit his preconceptions. Politically, not a supporter of the First Lord, but in a position too sensitive to ignore.

Tropes that apply to Arnos

 * A Million Is a Statistic
 * Bad Boss
 * Big Bad Wannabe
 * Commander Contrarian
 * Dirty Coward
 * General Ripper
 * Jerkass
 * Kick the Dog: Has an entire town ordered killed for "conspiring with the enemy" (read: not fighting to the death against an unbeatable opponent that doesn't want to kill you). Just so he can get Tavi removed from his post when he inevitably refuses. And then he decides to kill them anyway as an "example" to the other towns.
 * Obstructive Zealot: He wants nothing more than his own political advantage, and does stupid and destructive things that get thousands of people, both soldiers and civilians, killed for it.
 * Smug Snake
 * We Have Reserves

Phrygiar Navaris
Bodyguard, assassin or blade-for-hire, Navaris doesn't care - she's in it for money and the reputation as the most dangerous swordswoman alive.

Tropes that apply to Navaris

 * Axe Crazy
 * Dark Action Girl
 * The Dragon: To Arnos
 * Duel to the Death: She uses these as an excuse to legally kill lots and lots of people, mostly just for the hell of it.
 * Psycho for Hire: So very much.
 * To Be a Master: To be the greatest swordswoman alive!
 * To Be a Master: To be the greatest swordswoman alive!
 * To Be a Master: To be the greatest swordswoman alive!

Atsurak
Marat headman of the Herdbane tribe, and also a hordemaster (warleader of several tribes). Serves as one of the primary villains in Furies of Calderon.

Tropes that apply to Atsurak

 * Disc One Final Boss: The Aquitaines were pulling his strings.
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy
 * Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves:
 * Starter Villain
 * Unwitting Pawn: See Disc One Final Boss above. The Aquitaines wanted to arrange a Marat invasion as an excuse to swoop in to the rescue and get Gaius deposed for incompetence. Doroga saw through them, but Atsurak was dumb enough to fall for it.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy

The Vord
A Horde of Alien Locusts accidentally awakened at the beginning of the series.

Tropes that apply to the Vord

 * Always Lawful Evil: But justified by being part of a Hive Mind.
 * Big Creepy-Crawlies: Vord not controlling an Aleran, Canim, Marat, etc. are usually gigantic bugs. Queens, of course, excepted.
 * Captain Ersatz: They are directly inspired by StarCraft's Zerg.
 * Evil Evolves: The queen constantly breeds new forms to adapt to changing conditions and correct any weaknesses. Face them with Knights Aeris? You get flying vordknights. Face them with a legion shieldwall? You get mantis warriors that attack over the top of it. Face them with defensive fortifications? You get giant vordbulks that can plow through them.
 * Hive Mind
 * Horde of Alien Locusts
 * Malignant Plot Tumor: They're introduced in a Sidequest in the first book and appear to be dealt with as a threat in the second- only to come back with a vengeance later on, now on the verge of world domination.
 * Meat Moss: The Croach is the equivalent to the Zerg's creep.
 * Puppeteer Parasite
 * Surprisingly-Sudden Death
 * The Virus: Vord Takers basically turn their victims into zombies.
 * Zerg Rush: Although, oddly enough, without Hollywood Tactics.

Vord Queen
The leader(s) of the Vord. Very scary.

Tropes that apply to the Vord Queen
"Invidia: "On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most revolting and one being almost edible, I believe that rating this recipe would require the use of exponents.""
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Hell yeah!
 * Big Bad
 * Bishojo Line: She starts out very buggy-looking. When we see her next, she looks more human, but still has obvious chitinous plates of armor. Her last form is an Uncanny Valley-tastic Green-Skinned Space Babe copy of Kitai with some of Tavi's features.
 * Black Eyes of Evil
 * Creepy Child: The first Queen has extremely creepy childlike aspects to her. As Invidia notes, she's only nine years old. Her 'Doll House' is a steadhold in Vord territory she created to try to comprehend good. Its just as scary as it sounds.
 * Cute Monster Girl: She tries, but...
 * Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: She doesn't get why Amara would give her own life to kill the queen.
 * Later on, she takes measures to understand humanity more properly. Unfortunately, this tends to make things even worse. For instance, she attempts to serve dinner to people and have small talk, but is willing to brutally murder innocents because they are inconvenient. She doesn't understand why this is wrong.
 * Fan Nickname: "HIB" - Her Imperial Bugginess.
 * Genius Bruiser: One of the scariest things about the Vord Queens in general is how incredibly smart they are. The first Queen is so intelligent she's almost like a Zerg version of Grand Admiral Thrawn.
 * Green-Skinned Space Babe
 * Hive Queen: Well, duh.
 * Hollywood Tactics: Frighteningly averted. The queens are smart, and while they have the numbers to Zerg Rush, they use very intelligent tactics while doing so. In Academ's Fury, before the number of Vord became completely ridiculous, the first queen fought using a devestating series of ambushes before moving in to crush her weakened enemies.
 * Humanity Is Infectious / Intrigued by Humanity: The primary Vord Queen. Her daughters want to kill her for that. In fact, are genetically required to kill her for that.
 * Lethal Chef: The Vord Queen doesn't really get cooking.
 * Lethal Chef: The Vord Queen doesn't really get cooking.


 * Lightning Bruiser: Swords barely scratch her, she's as fast as a Windcrafter and as strong as an Earthcrafter. And that's before she learns how to furycraft.
 * Made of Iron: Balest bolts bounce off her skin. Balest bolts can, for reference, go all the way through two heavily armored legionares.
 * Mama Bear: Pretty much everything she does in the entire series is purely because she has an overwhelming need to make sure her "children" are safe.
 * Psychic Powers: With mind reading and illusion crafting as her specialties.
 * Rapunzel Hair: Her "green Kitai" form has waist-length white hair.
 * Waif Fu: She is able to tear through nine-foot tall Canim warriors, shred a Legion shieldwall, and take on the mightiest crafters in Alera with casual ease.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: In her last form, when she looks like Kitai with green skin, longer hair, and insectile Black Eyes of Evil.

Alera
Probably the greatest and most powerful fury in existence, and effectively the incarnation of the entire continent. She's taken a fondness to the house of Gaius, acting as a Spirit Advisor to them and causing effects on a massive scale when they ask and it suits her. However, she will not directly aid one side over another; using her power effectively relies on setting up situations where some outside influence helps your side more than the other.

Tropes that apply to Alera

 * Anthropomorphic Personification: Technically all furies would be this, but Alera's the most human and comprehensible of them, having interacted with the house of Gaius for centuries.
 * Bishonen Line: Of the great furies we see, Kalare is a giant volcano, Garados is a hideous mountain beast, and Thana is a vast, gaunt shape composed of countless windmanes. Alera, on the other hand, is very humanlike until you get to her eyes.
 * Kaleidoscope Eyes: They cycle through just about every color imaginable. But then, she's a Physical God...
 * The Mentor:
 * Physical God
 * Spirit Advisor
 * Time Abyss: She's billions of years old.
 * Perhaps one of the foremost examples: "Entire species come and go, like the sparks rising from a campfire."
 * Perhaps one of the foremost examples: "Entire species come and go, like the sparks rising from a campfire."