Lord Foul's Bane (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever): 1 (The First Chronicles: Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever)

Product Information

A deformed but good-humored Giant, Pitchwife is the First's husband and is in charge of maintaining the Giantship Starfare's Gem. Like his wife, he accompanies Covenant and Linden across most of the Second Chronicles. Magic Knight: She actually holds her own against the undead Kevin for a while, though the fact that she had the Staff of Law probably helped. Kung-Fu Wizard: The Theomach, who in his first appearance fought a martial arts duel against Brinn and was barely defeated. Also the Vizard, who was so good at being this that thousands of years after the hauruchai encountered him, they're still feeling inadequate in comparison. Spawn of an ancient race called the Demondim, ur-viles are artificial beings of enigmatic purpose and great magical knowledge. In the First Chronicles, they're allies of Lord Foul and among his most terrible servants. In later series, they reshuffle their priorities. Was Once a Man: They were once three human brothers, but their evil was so great it continued on after their physical deaths—eventually Foul found them, and made them his lieutenants. note Interestingly, it's unclear exactly how they became the Ravers; they weren't born such, but were already immortal spirits by the time they joined up with Foul. Unlike many "evil elites" — such as the Ringwraiths of The Lord of the Rings, who they seem to have been at least partially inspired by — the Ravers' origin story is independent of their master's. The Last Chronicles implies it was some conflux of the brothers' human evil and the supernatural malevolence flowing from under Mount Thunder that made it possible.

Psychic Powers: Haruchai can communicate mind-to-mind with each other, and with certain other magical beings like Nom the sandgorgon. In 2009, James Nicoll said that Thomas Covenant would win a "special lifetime achievement award" for the "most unlikeable supposedly sympathetic protagonist". [5]What the Hell, Hero?: The first time we meet Hile, he basically tells Coventant in plain American slang to stop with the self-pity and actually help — or go away. The first volume in the series was included in David Pringle's book Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels.

Flat-Earth Atheist: Though to be fair, he's convinced that if he allows his worldview to contain anything but leprosy, he'll lose his self-protective skills and die a very prolonged and unpleasant death. As Long as There Is Evil: As long as Foul lives, the Ravers will be there with him. Or at least, that's the common belief. The Second and Last Chronicles show that Ravers can be destroyed, albeit with great difficulty and under very specific circumstances. Eyeless Face: Ur-viles have no eyes; just massive, extremely sensitive nostrils that dominate their faces. Ascended Extra: He's only an infant in Lord Foul's Bane; when he makes an appearance again he's a grown man.Evil Chancellor: He's "Kemper" (chief advisor) to the gaddhi of the Bhrathair, and uses the position to covertly rule the entire kingdom.

Magic Knight: As a Lord, Mhoram would have been required to demonstrate mastery of both magic and war, and he showcases both skills many times across the trilogy. Immortality Immorality: Bargained for power and longevity with a croyel, which according to Finail is enough for damn him beyond redemption. A Haruchai warrior, one of the foremost of the Bloodguard, Bannor is Covenant's near constant shadow during the First Chronicles. Bannor is a man of few words but unflinching honor, and as a leader of the Haruchai he is one of the most skilled warriors to walk the land. After the disbanding of the Bloodguard, Bannor joined the Ramen in the plains of Ra, and there encountered Covenant one last time, though he refused to enter Foul's Creche. The Haruchai are a hardy race of warriors living in the Westron Mountains, west of the Land. The Haruchai shun the use of weapons or magic, taking pride in their own physical prowess and the purity of their service, which is never given lightly. They have the ability to communicate amongst themselves via telepathy, and each can access the combined memories of their entire race. Outwardly stoic, even seemingly emotionless, they could also be considered arrogant in their beliefs. It is revealed on several occasions that the Haruchai are a deeply passionate race, capable of swearing a lifetime's worth of service if sufficiently moved.Ambiguously Human: Unlike the Stonedowners, Woodhelvenin, and Ramen (who are clearly human) or the Giants (who clearly aren't), it's never really made explicit what the Haruchai are. Single-Minded Triplets: And on the (rare) occasion that more than one Raver is in the same scene, they're prone to talking in creepy unison and/or carrying on each other's ideas in conversation. The Chessmaster: Foul is very, very intelligent, and is usually several steps ahead of everybody else.