Books of the Swords
Encyclopedia
The Book of Swords Series is collectively a science fiction
/fantasy
novel series written by Fred Saberhagen
. Its central theme revolves around twelve magical Swords
forged by the gods, each endowed with a particular power or gift, and how various people acquire and use them. The series spans several decades and features dozens of characters.
and fantasy
to create unique takes on the staples of both genres. The back story to the Swords universe is explained in Saberhagen's Empire of the East series, for those interested in learning more.
, mankind is almost driven to extinction by a global apocalypse
. This is explained as being brought on by a nuclear World War
prior to the events in Empire of the East. An intelligent super-computer, ARDNEH, part of a former American nuclear response system, initiated a physical change to the structure of the world. Unintentionally combined with a similar system on the other side of the world, this change negated the effects of atomic weaponry and most other forms of high technology, and introduced other side-effects, such as the creation of magic, gods, and demons. ARDNEH then continued to stabilize and sustain humanity through the ensuing dark ages. ARDNEH was destroyed millennia before the events of the series, as chronicled in Saberhagen's Empire of the East series
. By the time the events recorded in The Books of the Swords occur, ARDNEH has passed into legend, worshipped as a benevolent god.
Interestingly, the length of "The Change" is recorded in scripture to be 49,949 years, indicating that the period of the Swords universe may in fact be a twilight period (compare to Götterdämmerung
).
pantheons
. They are elements of human hope and imagination that were made real approximately one thousand years after The Change. As such, they have no real power other than what mankind gives them. When this fact is discovered during the game of the Swords, the gods begin to slowly lose power and then disappear altogether.
Despite having no "real", or innate, power, humanity has invested quite a bit into their legend during the height of their worship and popularity. Thus for most of the series, the various gods and goddesses hold enormous power over mankind. Though the gods do not like to descend from the heavens and deal with mortals, when they do, they are physically larger than men in build and appearance, have nearly infinite physical power, can seemingly break the laws of nature at will and harness magic effortlessly. Gods are far stronger than demons and do not generally fear them.
The gods, having become bored with mankind, devise a grand game of survival of the fittest
to be played out on earth. So they create Twelve Swords of Power
, and scatter them throughout the world, planning to watch and wager over the chaos that ensues. However, the gods find out they have created too well, and that the Twelve hold power over, and can even kill, the divine. Faced with their gods' mortality, mankind begins to question belief and faith in them. Ironically, in making the Swords as a game to inflict on man, the gods unwittingly engineered their own demise.
A demon's power is greater than that of any human, though sufficiently strong wizards can experience some success in warding them off or even controlling them for some time. A demonic attack usually consists of the demon enveloping a person or animal and then devouring their life essence, which is a uniquely painful experience that the demon can prolong almost indefinitely if it wishes.
All demons have a "source of life", which is usually hidden within a fairly innocuous object like a mirror, charm, bottle, or weapon. (Compare to djinn). This object does not bear any relation to the demon's physical presence. However, if it can be found control can be exerted over the demon it belongs to, as harm or destruction to the life source will translate directly to the demon.
All demons have names, which they jealously guard. To know a demon's true name is to hold a great degree of power and influence over it. Knowing their name strengthens binding spells against the creature. Demons can be harnessed and used in these ways for swift transportation, skilled assassins, and horrific but effective bodyguards. One must be very careful in dealing with demons, as they resent being controlled and will exact a horrible vengeance on their masters if ever they are able to throw off their yoke.
Demons are powerless before the Emperor. Any of his children (and to a lesser extent, their children, etc.) have the power to banish demons, regardless of power or familiarity, by invoking his name in a verbal command.
Magic is very fragile; unsheathed blades and other iron or steel objects degrade its power significantly. Thus it has limited martial uses. It is most often used to influence others, to mentally suggest or trick, to tame or calm. It can be used to accelerate healing, and dispel the effects of alcohol and drugs. Many times, armor or other implements are charmed by the use of symbols and spells, to enhance their effectiveness.
Magic can be layered on over time, increasing its effectiveness. If one wanted to shut a door, one could spend literally weeks and months enchanting it, adding one spell on top of another, creating a magical barrier that could stop a determined intruder for days on end.
Like demons, wizards are very picky about who knows their true name, for they are especially vulnerable to spells and magic incorporating this information.
. The Red Temple provides and controls much of the traffic in prostitution and drugs, although they also encourage free love
, gambling, gluttony, excessive drinking, or anything else that one can derive pleasure from. Most reputable citizens publicly repudiate the goings on at the Red Temple, but many also secretly join in the activity.
, including Shieldbreaker, which they never used for fear of losing them. The Blue Temple Hoard is the famous secret depository of their holdings, and is guarded by dragons, demons, and the finest physical and magical locks that can be obtained or devised. Security is so absolute that only two or three people at one time ever know its location, and Blue Temple recruits that are used to bring new loot to the Vault are executed immediately after their assignment is complete.
formerly known as ARDNEH (an acronym for Automatic Restoration Director – National Executive Headquarters, though the full name is not widely known) made self-aware during The Change. It acted to preserve and defend the remnant of humanity from the effects of a global apocalypse that occurred thousands of years ago. In Saberhagan's "Empire of the East" ARDNEH sacrificed itself to save humanity from the demon Orcus by undoing The Change on the demon. Both ARDNEH and Orcus perished in the resulting nuclear explosion. Though the original ARDNEH was destroyed thousands of years ago, it lives on in legend, as a benevolent god worshiped by many, most notably the disciples of the White Temple. Ardneh is depicted in art as having an impossibly broad face with a neutral expression, that gives the vague impression of machinery to those looking at it. ARDNEH had a backup version of itself with more limited capacity based on the moon
. This computer is the one responsible for keeping the effects of The Change in place during the time of the Swords.
Even from an early age, Mark is tall and has strength of mind and character. He joins the ranks of the Arthur
ian Sir Andrew as a teenager, and follows him in many battles against the evil warlords bent on controlling the Swords. In one mission, Mark manages to rescue the princess regent
of the land of Tasavalta, becoming her consort in the process. This leads to Mark becoming prince and ruler over the small kingdom. Tasavalta becomes home to many of the Swords, where they are heavily guarded and kept out of the hands of evildoers.
Mark eventually finds out that his biological father was not Jord, but that he is one of the many illegitimate children of the Emperor. This gives him several mystical powers in addition to his considerable mundane ones. Mark is the principal protagonist
of the series, and probably the single most experienced human in dealing with the Twelve Swords of Power
, with the possible exception of Jord.
The Emperor is often referred to as the Great Clown because of his penchant for wearing masks and allegedly playing pranks. When unmasked, he appears to be an average middle aged man dressed in plain gray robes. The Emperor has begotten many illegitimate children, to the point where "Emperor's child" is a common colloquialism for any urchin, orphan, or bastard. However, true descendants of the Emperor have a measure of his power over evil, though they are often unaware they possess it. A person with Imperial blood flowing in their veins may banish demons by giving a command in his name. A commonly used phrase is the rhyme "in the Emperor's name, forsake this game, and begone", which is good enough to hurl a demon to the proximity of lunar orbit.
The Emperor also has a mysterious romance with Queen Yambu. When she was a teen, without power and in mortal danger, the Emperor was her friend, ally, and lover. However, on attaining her throne, the two became estranged for many years, with the ambitious, proud, and distrustful Yambu threatened by his power, masculinity, and poor reputation. The Emperor repeatedly attempts to reconcile with Yambu throughout the series. When she is old and powerless, she finally agrees.
Late in the series the Emperor identifies himself thus: "Some long ago have called me the Sabbath, or the Covenant--Some have called me Wisdom. Some lately have said that I am the Program of Creation."
s of the series, and sworn enemy of Mark. Vilkata is a powerful sorcerer and master of many demons. He will do anything to gain an upper hand over his enemies; as a younger man he gouged out his own eyes as a sacrifice in order to gain the power required to get revenge over ones who had wronged him. Since then he uses minor demons kept in thrall
to give him a bizarre form of telepathic vision. He traditionally wears black cloaks over stylized armor. He bears a ringlet of gold on his brow that keeps his long silver hair swept back. His eye sockets are empty—Vilkata wears no patches or blindfold to hide them which many find unnerving. He employs scorched earth
, torture
, and other deplorable tactics liberally to strike fear in any who would oppose them. Though an accomplished and feared warlock
in his own right, what elevates Vilkata to a global threat is his frequent possession of the terrible Mindsword.
of Orcus' demise by being brought forward through time. Wood is mostly humanoid in shape, though he sports hair, claws, and horns like a beast, and has small bat-wings sprouting from his back. He often rides on the back of a griffin. Wood fears little in life with the exception of the Swords he does not possess and one or two of the most powerful demons left over from the very end of the Old World. His mastery of magic, experience, and ruthless cunning make him a most puissant foe.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel series written by Fred Saberhagen
Fred Saberhagen
Fred Thomas Saberhagen was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his Berserker series of science fiction short stories and S.F...
. Its central theme revolves around twelve magical Swords
Twelve Swords of Power
The Twelve Swords of Power, Swords of Power, or swords featured in the epic Fred Saberhagen sci-fi/fantasy series, Books of the Swords. They are the central focus of the novels, and are often considered unique characters themselves.-Common features:...
forged by the gods, each endowed with a particular power or gift, and how various people acquire and use them. The series spans several decades and features dozens of characters.
The Complete Book of Swords
- The First Book of Swords (1983)
- The Second Book of Swords (1983)
- The Third Book of Swords (1984)
Books of Lost Swords
- Woundhealer's Story (1986)
- Sightblinder's Story (1987)
- Stonecutter's Story (1988)
- Farslayer's Story (1989)
- Coinspinner's Story (1989)
- Mindsword's Story (1990)
- Wayfinder's Story (1992)
- Shieldbreaker's Story (1994)
The Twelve Swords of Power
The Swords of Power are created by the god Vulcan. Each has its own unique magical ability, and they are powerful enough to affect the mythological gods that exist within the series. The plot of the entire series revolves around the finding, acquiring, stealing, using, and eventual destroying of the Swords for purposes good or evil.Concepts
The Books of the Swords series blends science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
to create unique takes on the staples of both genres. The back story to the Swords universe is explained in Saberhagen's Empire of the East series, for those interested in learning more.
The Change
The books are set far into the future, although this is not immediately obvious to the reader. Approximately 50,000 years before the story, sometime during our third millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
, mankind is almost driven to extinction by a global apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
. This is explained as being brought on by a nuclear World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
prior to the events in Empire of the East. An intelligent super-computer, ARDNEH, part of a former American nuclear response system, initiated a physical change to the structure of the world. Unintentionally combined with a similar system on the other side of the world, this change negated the effects of atomic weaponry and most other forms of high technology, and introduced other side-effects, such as the creation of magic, gods, and demons. ARDNEH then continued to stabilize and sustain humanity through the ensuing dark ages. ARDNEH was destroyed millennia before the events of the series, as chronicled in Saberhagen's Empire of the East series
Empire of the East series
The Empire of the East series is composed of four science fiction/fantasy novels by Fred Saberhagen.-Premise:Some time in the future, a nuclear holocaust is averted by a computer named ARDNEH , which initiates what is intended to be a temporary modification to the laws of physics to make...
. By the time the events recorded in The Books of the Swords occur, ARDNEH has passed into legend, worshipped as a benevolent god.
Interestingly, the length of "The Change" is recorded in scripture to be 49,949 years, indicating that the period of the Swords universe may in fact be a twilight period (compare to Götterdämmerung
Götterdämmerung
is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
).
Gods
The gods of the Swords universe are based on various mythological deities, with most coming from the Greco-Roman and HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pantheons
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
. They are elements of human hope and imagination that were made real approximately one thousand years after The Change. As such, they have no real power other than what mankind gives them. When this fact is discovered during the game of the Swords, the gods begin to slowly lose power and then disappear altogether.
Despite having no "real", or innate, power, humanity has invested quite a bit into their legend during the height of their worship and popularity. Thus for most of the series, the various gods and goddesses hold enormous power over mankind. Though the gods do not like to descend from the heavens and deal with mortals, when they do, they are physically larger than men in build and appearance, have nearly infinite physical power, can seemingly break the laws of nature at will and harness magic effortlessly. Gods are far stronger than demons and do not generally fear them.
The gods, having become bored with mankind, devise a grand game of survival of the fittest
Survival of the fittest
"Survival of the fittest" is a phrase originating in evolutionary theory, as an alternative description of Natural selection. The phrase is today commonly used in contexts that are incompatible with the original meaning as intended by its first two proponents: British polymath philosopher Herbert...
to be played out on earth. So they create Twelve Swords of Power
Twelve Swords of Power
The Twelve Swords of Power, Swords of Power, or swords featured in the epic Fred Saberhagen sci-fi/fantasy series, Books of the Swords. They are the central focus of the novels, and are often considered unique characters themselves.-Common features:...
, and scatter them throughout the world, planning to watch and wager over the chaos that ensues. However, the gods find out they have created too well, and that the Twelve hold power over, and can even kill, the divine. Faced with their gods' mortality, mankind begins to question belief and faith in them. Ironically, in making the Swords as a game to inflict on man, the gods unwittingly engineered their own demise.
Demons
The Demons of Saberhagen's Swords universe are the remnants of atomic or other high power weapons detonations, rendered anthropomorphic by The Change. They can take on various forms and appearances, but their natural form is a free floating radioactive cloud. Their mere presence can sicken and injure those who have not magically prepared themselves to resist them.A demon's power is greater than that of any human, though sufficiently strong wizards can experience some success in warding them off or even controlling them for some time. A demonic attack usually consists of the demon enveloping a person or animal and then devouring their life essence, which is a uniquely painful experience that the demon can prolong almost indefinitely if it wishes.
All demons have a "source of life", which is usually hidden within a fairly innocuous object like a mirror, charm, bottle, or weapon. (Compare to djinn). This object does not bear any relation to the demon's physical presence. However, if it can be found control can be exerted over the demon it belongs to, as harm or destruction to the life source will translate directly to the demon.
All demons have names, which they jealously guard. To know a demon's true name is to hold a great degree of power and influence over it. Knowing their name strengthens binding spells against the creature. Demons can be harnessed and used in these ways for swift transportation, skilled assassins, and horrific but effective bodyguards. One must be very careful in dealing with demons, as they resent being controlled and will exact a horrible vengeance on their masters if ever they are able to throw off their yoke.
Demons are powerless before the Emperor. Any of his children (and to a lesser extent, their children, etc.) have the power to banish demons, regardless of power or familiarity, by invoking his name in a verbal command.
Magic
Magic is an arcane and subtle art in the Swords universe. It takes a lifetime of training and dedication to pull off the simplest of parlor tricks. The most powerful sorcerers often have several lifetimes of mastery under their belt, as these mighty few have learned to delay aging and death, usually sacrificing their humanity somewhere along the way.Magic is very fragile; unsheathed blades and other iron or steel objects degrade its power significantly. Thus it has limited martial uses. It is most often used to influence others, to mentally suggest or trick, to tame or calm. It can be used to accelerate healing, and dispel the effects of alcohol and drugs. Many times, armor or other implements are charmed by the use of symbols and spells, to enhance their effectiveness.
Magic can be layered on over time, increasing its effectiveness. If one wanted to shut a door, one could spend literally weeks and months enchanting it, adding one spell on top of another, creating a magical barrier that could stop a determined intruder for days on end.
Like demons, wizards are very picky about who knows their true name, for they are especially vulnerable to spells and magic incorporating this information.
Religion
There are three major religious sects in the Swords universe. Although many privately worship their own gods or goddesses in small shrines spread throughout the land, these three are institutions that can be found no matter where one goes.White Temple
The White Temple is ordered around the worship of ARDNEH, and holds love and respect for life in high regard. Many of the leading healing centers and hospitals are actually White Temples, and most of what one thinks of as traditional "holy men" are servants of White. In addition to their roles as care givers, they also pray over the dead, give spiritual guidance, help to the poor, and give sanctuary to the weak.Red Temple
The Red Temple is concerned with worship of the flesh. Its chief goddess is AphroditeAphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
. The Red Temple provides and controls much of the traffic in prostitution and drugs, although they also encourage free love
Free love
The term free love has been used to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage. The Free Love movement’s initial goal was to separate the state from sexual matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery...
, gambling, gluttony, excessive drinking, or anything else that one can derive pleasure from. Most reputable citizens publicly repudiate the goings on at the Red Temple, but many also secretly join in the activity.
Blue Temple
The Blue Temple worships money, and is concerned with the finding, acquiring, and possession of it as an end to itself. It hoards staggering wealth, but never does anything with it. At one point the Blue Temple hoarded four of the Twelve Swords of PowerTwelve Swords of Power
The Twelve Swords of Power, Swords of Power, or swords featured in the epic Fred Saberhagen sci-fi/fantasy series, Books of the Swords. They are the central focus of the novels, and are often considered unique characters themselves.-Common features:...
, including Shieldbreaker, which they never used for fear of losing them. The Blue Temple Hoard is the famous secret depository of their holdings, and is guarded by dragons, demons, and the finest physical and magical locks that can be obtained or devised. Security is so absolute that only two or three people at one time ever know its location, and Blue Temple recruits that are used to bring new loot to the Vault are executed immediately after their assignment is complete.
ARDNEH
Ardneh is apparently a supercomputerSupercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
formerly known as ARDNEH (an acronym for Automatic Restoration Director – National Executive Headquarters, though the full name is not widely known) made self-aware during The Change. It acted to preserve and defend the remnant of humanity from the effects of a global apocalypse that occurred thousands of years ago. In Saberhagan's "Empire of the East" ARDNEH sacrificed itself to save humanity from the demon Orcus by undoing The Change on the demon. Both ARDNEH and Orcus perished in the resulting nuclear explosion. Though the original ARDNEH was destroyed thousands of years ago, it lives on in legend, as a benevolent god worshiped by many, most notably the disciples of the White Temple. Ardneh is depicted in art as having an impossibly broad face with a neutral expression, that gives the vague impression of machinery to those looking at it. ARDNEH had a backup version of itself with more limited capacity based on the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. This computer is the one responsible for keeping the effects of The Change in place during the time of the Swords.
Mark
Mark is the son of the blacksmith Jord, one of the conscripted smiths that aided Vulcan in forging the Swords, losing his arm in the process. Jord received Townsaver as "payment" for his services. A decade later, as the rich and powerful become aware of the Swords, a Duke's cousin attempts to take Townsaver from Jord by force. Unfortunately, Townsaver was in Mark's older brother's hands, and he was forced to watch as his brother dies in employing it to defend his mother and sister from a party of bandits who also wanted the sword. During the battle Mark accidentally kills the Duke's cousin. Grabbing the Sword, Mark flees for his life, as the vengeful Duke pursues him.Even from an early age, Mark is tall and has strength of mind and character. He joins the ranks of the Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
ian Sir Andrew as a teenager, and follows him in many battles against the evil warlords bent on controlling the Swords. In one mission, Mark manages to rescue the princess regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the land of Tasavalta, becoming her consort in the process. This leads to Mark becoming prince and ruler over the small kingdom. Tasavalta becomes home to many of the Swords, where they are heavily guarded and kept out of the hands of evildoers.
Mark eventually finds out that his biological father was not Jord, but that he is one of the many illegitimate children of the Emperor. This gives him several mystical powers in addition to his considerable mundane ones. Mark is the principal 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...
of the series, and probably the single most experienced human in dealing with the Twelve Swords of Power
Twelve Swords of Power
The Twelve Swords of Power, Swords of Power, or swords featured in the epic Fred Saberhagen sci-fi/fantasy series, Books of the Swords. They are the central focus of the novels, and are often considered unique characters themselves.-Common features:...
, with the possible exception of Jord.
Ben
Ben becomes Mark's best friend after he is forced to flee from the wrath of the Duke. They remain steadfast friends throughout the series. Ben is a heavily-built, powerful, and extremely plain boy, who grows over the course of the series into a stalwart and dependable man. Since Mark is a paragon of virtue and heroism, Ben plays the role of a more believable and emotionally developed character for the reader to identify with. He suffers setbacks, is frequently unlucky in love, is constantly underestimated by foes and unappreciated by friends. Ben has at times been a dragon slayer's apprentice, Blue Temple guard, soldier, and aspiring minstrel.Emperor
The Emperor is the most powerful individual in the Swords universe. He is extremely mysterious, and in fact is seen as nothing more than a fairy-tale character by many. He is seemingly immune to all forms of magic and is described as a "consummate magician" himself. There is some question as to whether he is immune to the Swords. Early in the series he seems to be driven away by the threat of Soulcutter and only approaches it, later, with the aid of Shieldbreaker; however, when Draffut is wielding Sightblinder, the Emperor is not fooled. He orders about, banishes, and even destroys demonic forces on a whim. He acts in ways that are hard for characters and the reader to comprehend.The Emperor is often referred to as the Great Clown because of his penchant for wearing masks and allegedly playing pranks. When unmasked, he appears to be an average middle aged man dressed in plain gray robes. The Emperor has begotten many illegitimate children, to the point where "Emperor's child" is a common colloquialism for any urchin, orphan, or bastard. However, true descendants of the Emperor have a measure of his power over evil, though they are often unaware they possess it. A person with Imperial blood flowing in their veins may banish demons by giving a command in his name. A commonly used phrase is the rhyme "in the Emperor's name, forsake this game, and begone", which is good enough to hurl a demon to the proximity of lunar orbit.
The Emperor also has a mysterious romance with Queen Yambu. When she was a teen, without power and in mortal danger, the Emperor was her friend, ally, and lover. However, on attaining her throne, the two became estranged for many years, with the ambitious, proud, and distrustful Yambu threatened by his power, masculinity, and poor reputation. The Emperor repeatedly attempts to reconcile with Yambu throughout the series. When she is old and powerless, she finally agrees.
Late in the series the Emperor identifies himself thus: "Some long ago have called me the Sabbath, or the Covenant--Some have called me Wisdom. Some lately have said that I am the Program of Creation."
Vilkata
The Dark King, known also as Vilkata, is one of the chief antagonistAntagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s of the series, and sworn enemy of Mark. Vilkata is a powerful sorcerer and master of many demons. He will do anything to gain an upper hand over his enemies; as a younger man he gouged out his own eyes as a sacrifice in order to gain the power required to get revenge over ones who had wronged him. Since then he uses minor demons kept in thrall
Thrall
Thrall was the term for a serf or unfree servant in Scandinavian culture during the Viking Age.Thralls were the lowest in the social order and usually provided unskilled labor during the Viking era.-Etymology:...
to give him a bizarre form of telepathic vision. He traditionally wears black cloaks over stylized armor. He bears a ringlet of gold on his brow that keeps his long silver hair swept back. His eye sockets are empty—Vilkata wears no patches or blindfold to hide them which many find unnerving. He employs scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
, 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...
, and other deplorable tactics liberally to strike fear in any who would oppose them. Though an accomplished and feared warlock
Warlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
in his own right, what elevates Vilkata to a global threat is his frequent possession of the terrible Mindsword.
Wood
Wood, also known as the Ancient One, is an evil wizard of vast power who long ago gave up his humanity, if he ever possessed the quality in the first place. He represents the arch-villain of the Swords series. According to lore, the only living beings older than Wood are the 50,000-year-old Draffut and the Great Worm Yilgarn, who has also existed for many thousands of years. Wood has not actually lived 50,000 years; He was saved from the 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....
of Orcus' demise by being brought forward through time. Wood is mostly humanoid in shape, though he sports hair, claws, and horns like a beast, and has small bat-wings sprouting from his back. He often rides on the back of a griffin. Wood fears little in life with the exception of the Swords he does not possess and one or two of the most powerful demons left over from the very end of the Old World. His mastery of magic, experience, and ruthless cunning make him a most puissant foe.
See also
- Fred SaberhagenFred SaberhagenFred Thomas Saberhagen was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his Berserker series of science fiction short stories and S.F...
- Twelve Swords of PowerTwelve Swords of PowerThe Twelve Swords of Power, Swords of Power, or swords featured in the epic Fred Saberhagen sci-fi/fantasy series, Books of the Swords. They are the central focus of the novels, and are often considered unique characters themselves.-Common features:...
- Empire of the East seriesEmpire of the East seriesThe Empire of the East series is composed of four science fiction/fantasy novels by Fred Saberhagen.-Premise:Some time in the future, a nuclear holocaust is averted by a computer named ARDNEH , which initiates what is intended to be a temporary modification to the laws of physics to make...
External links
- Official site
- Fan site with a guide to the series
- Bibliography on SciFanSciFanSciFan is an online database for fans of science fiction and fantasy books.The site provides detailed bibliographies, linking books together into series' where appropriate and, in turn, grouping series by universe...