Safehold/Characters: Difference between revisions

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The Queen of Sin, the Mistress of Lies, the Dark Mother of Evil, Pei Shan-wei is the embodiment of Darkness and opposition to the will of God. Once an Archangel, Shan-wei betrayed the other Archangels in her overwhelming pride, setting her own will against the will of God, and she was struck down for it by the ''rakurai'' of God Himself.

In fact, Doctor Pei Shan-wei was one of the original administrators of the Safehold Colony, who opposed Eric Langhorne's alterations of Operation Ark's orignal mission plan. Cast out of the Adminsitrative Council by Langhorne, Shan-wei set up the Alexandria Enclave, which Langhorne destroyed by [[Kill Sat|orbital bombardment]]. She serves as the Devil in Mother Church's theology, and misleadingly-accurate accusations of "Shan-wei worship" are levelled at the protagonists by the Church throughout the series.

* [[Hero with Bad Publicity]] - See description above

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== Commodore Pei Kau-yung ==

Husband of Pei Shan-wei, Commodore Kau-yung and his wife staged a public falling-out after the extent of Langhorne's megalomania were revealed. Following the destruction of the Alexandria Enclave, Kau-yung attended a meeting of the Administrative Council wearing a vest-pocket nuke. He managed to kill most of the Archangels, meaning that he is now known as Kau-yung, Father of Destruction and Lord of Treachery.

* [[The Mole]]: was [[The Mole]] for Shan-wei's faction on the Administrative Council.

* [[Taking You with Me]]: see description above

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* Hastings - mapmaker-in-chief.

* Jwo-jeng - creator of the Proscriptions of Jwo-Jeng, the source of the series' [[Medieval Stasis]]

* Pasquale - patron of sanitation, hygiene, diet and healthcare.

* Schueler - patron of the Inquisition, possibly an ancestor of the Wylsynn family. May not have actually written the Book of Schueler, the Inquisition's how-to manual on [[Cold-Blooded Torture]].

* Sondheim - patron of agriculture.

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* [[Not So Omniscient After All]]: Though he's the only one who blames himself on those occasions when his SNARC surveillance proves less than perfect.

* [[One-Man Industrial Revolution]]: Merlin starts the ball rolling, but it's Baron Seamount who keeps it going. So much so that it's cited by one character as a reason ''not'' to induct him into the Inner Circle.

* [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]]: Merlin's body is entirely robotic but his consciousness is that of Nimue Alban.

* [[The Sixth Ranger]]: Merlin, in the Charis upper leadership under Haarahld.

* [[Swashbuckler]]: From the waxed mustache and goatee down to the impossible swordsmanship and derring-do.

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* [[The Ace]]: Some of it is thanks to the advantages Merlin offers, but Cayleb's reputation among his men is well-earned nonetheless.

* [[Badass Beard]]: Cayleb grows one in ''By Heresies Distressed.''

* [[Book Dumb]]: He's not much of a scholar and admits it, but he's definitely not an idiot.

* [[Happily Married]]: With Sharleyan.

* [[The Hero]]: In [[Five-Man Band]] terms.

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== King Haarahld Ahrmahk VII ==

The King of Charis throughout ''Off Armageddon Reef'', Haarahld Ahrmahk is a respected and righteous noble.

* [[Father to His Men]]

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* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: While he doesn't really get to ''do'' much with his anger, the rare times he's shown genuinely angry are still rather intimidating.

** At one point it's stated outright that "gentle" does not mean "weak" by a long shot.

* [[The Chick]]: Has this role in both the Old Charis leadership and the Inner Circle.

* [[Good Shepherd]]: One of the best.

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* [[The Lancer]]: For King Haarahld and, later, for Cayleb and Sharleyan for political matters outside the Inner Circle.

* [[Locked Out of the Loop]]: Gray Harbor's deep faith means telling him the truth could potentially destroy him.

* [[The Good Chancellor]]: unfailingly loyal, intelligent, and dedicated.

== Sir Ahlfryd Hyndryk, Baron Seamount ==

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* [[Complete Monster/Literature|Complete Monster]]: He's the Grand Inquisitor of a Corrupt Church. What more need be said?

** That said [[Corrupt Church]] is a [[Path of Inspiration]] whose holy book explicitly allows -- indeed, ''encourages'' and provides instructions for -- torture, and fairly horrific torture, at that.

*** also that he had all the vicars that disagreed with him politically tortured and killed, as well as their families, including children as young as 12.

* [[Hair-Trigger Temper]]: Partly a pose to scare his rivals but mostly very dangerously real.

* [[Hobbes Was Right]]: ''How Firm A Foundation'' reveals that Clyntahn believes that man has no better nature and only follows God when terrorized into proper behavior.

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* [[Big Damn Heroes]]: {{spoiler|During the "Sword of Schueler" attack on Siddarmark.}}

* [[Crazy Prepared]]: Madame Ahnzhelyk plans ahead with a vengeance.

* [[High Class Call Girl]]: Among the highest class, at that.

* [[High-Class Call Girl]]: Among the highest class, at that.

* {{spoiler|[[Mata Hari]]}}: Older than most examples and doesn't "work" herself by the time of the books, but she charms everyone she meets.

* [[Refuge in Audacity]]: Has left ''Cayleb'' "almost reverent." Her solution to get potential Inquisition victims out of Zion before a vengeful Clyntahn can get his hands on them? {{spoiler|Hide them in a boat shipping goods in Clyntahn's name.}}