Betrayal at Krondor/Characters

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Character sheet for Betrayal at Krondor.

Protagonists

Locklear

A noble and swordsman of celebrated skill and great renown, Locklear was investigating rumours of trouble in the Northlands along the northern border when he happened upon Gorath, who demanded to be taken to the Prince as a messenger. Locklear has close relations with the royal family and a long-standing friendship with Jimmy the Hand.

  • Adaptation Dye Job: Blond in the books, brown in the game. Lampshaded when he meets with Jimmy.
  • Badass Mustache: as befits a suave nobleman womaniser.
  • Badass Normal
  • The Charmer: If you visit a house in Kenting Rush with Locklear, he notes that he knows the girl who lives there (and notes that in the middle of the night she snuck into his room during a previous visit). Then her husband is at the door, and well...
    • In the novelization Locklear was banished to the northern border in the first place due to a tryst he had with the wife of a wealthy merchant. In fact, his charm with the ladies is probably his most prominent trait, other than "James's friend and a good swordsman."
  • Enemy Mine: Locklear sees someone being chased by a moredhel, jumps in to help them, and discovers the rescuee is moredhel as well, namely Gorath. Afterwards, the reason he gives for releasing Gorath of his chains is that they're both chased by moredhel wanting to kill them, and have more to gain from working together.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: with Jimmy, though it isn't quite as prominent in the game as in the novels.
  • Master Swordsman
  • Straight Man: when teamed up with Deadpan Snarker Jimmy, Locklear inevitably takes on this role.

Gorath of the Ardanien

"...What value in all Murmandamus' speeches did we gain but to learn that we are weak? What spirit did we discover in defeat except that we corrupt from within? The time has come to blunt our blades and look to our own, to put down the monsters that we have become."

When a new leader emerges to pull the moredhel back into war, Gorath sets out to warn the humans, his sworn enemies, so that they may mount an early counteroffensive and nip the conflict in the bud. In doing so, he goes from being chieftain of a prominent clan and a major contender for the throne to a hunted fugitive and despised traitor.

  • A Child Shall Lead Them: Gorath became chieftain at age twelve when his tribe, including his father, the previous chieftain, got almost completely massacred. Particularly notable because in elf society you need to be at least a century old to be considered more than Just a Kid, let alone qualify for leadership.
  • Anti-Hero: Type IV: Pay Evil Unto Evil Anti-Hero in a Crapsack World. He develops into a Type II: Disney Anti-Hero (arguably even a straight-up hero) as the story goes on.
  • Arch Enemy: to Delekhan
  • Ascended Extra: He was one of the numerous unnamed chieftains serving Murmandamus in The Darkness at Sethanon, and was the first to withdraw his troops from the field at Sethanon.
  • Badass Beard: allegedly because of being half-human, most probably because it looks cool.
  • Badass Normal: In the first three minutes of the game, Gorath disarms an assaulting assassin and then strangles him. While wearing chains.
  • Canon Immigrant: as of the Novelization Krondor: The Betrayal.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Yeah, just don't mind those descriptions of his eyes glittering like "blood-tinged emeralds"...
  • Defector From Decadence: Gorath allies himself with humans because it's the only way to stop his savage people from destroying themselves.
  • Doomed Moral Victor: Gorath becomes a shining example of cooperation and friendship with humans as well as acting at personal expense for the good of your people, and favouring mercy over a thirst for vengeance. That last one puts the nail in the coffin - he chooses to spare Delekhan and shortly dies stopping him from activating the Lifestone. Unfortunately, the top-secret circumstances and the discontinued nature of the plot prevent him from influencing his people or his friends in the manner typical of the trope.
  • Ensemble Darkhorse: Lots of fans and critics alike have called for more books with him. Getting this kind of reaction is no mean feat, especially when Jimmy the Hand is also on the stage.
  • Friendly Enemy: With Obkhar, at least in the novelization. "A friend may betray you, but with an old enemy, you always know where you stand."
  • Half-Human Hybrid: Only half-moredhel, according to the manual.
  • Heel Face Turn: While never actually evil or even antagonistic, Gorath becomes officially one of the "good guys" when he Returns, i.e. converts to an eledhel.
  • Heroic Spirit: Becomes a case of Heroic Willpower when both he and Delekhan touch the Lifestone, causing the trapped Valheru spirits to start possessing them. He is able to resist enough to overhear Pug insisting that the only option is to kill them both and shout for Owyn to do it.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners with Owyn in later chapters.
  • Hurting Hero / Stoic Woobie: After you put together all the pieces from the backstory and the novelization. Thrust into leadership as a child after the death of his father and almost everyone else he knew, lived through a disastrous invasion, had his clan be near-massacred yet again for him opposing the idea of another war, left his people to join his enemy in a desperate effort to prevent that war, which caused his wife to reject him and made him a wanted fugitive, hunted by his former clanmates and kin and forcing him to kill them in self-defense. He also married twice, was widowed once, had at least three children, and outlived all of them (Though later novels Retcon it so that his youngest son survived). And then it turns out that his difficult decision of throwing his old life away and cooperating with humans actually advanced the villain's schemes. He never complains - in fact, it takes a lot of reading between the lines to realize how worn out he is. That, or taking the Oracle of Aal's word for it.
  • In the Hood: Justified. Assassins are watching out for him specifically, Kingdom soldiers are watching out for moredhel in general, and idle commoners might talk to the wrong people about how they got to see an elf.
  • Kill Us Both
  • Large and In Charge: Notably, he was in charge before he became large.
  • Mighty Glacier: Not an extreme case, but in-combat movement rates cannot be changed through levelling, and he's stronger and tougher but also slower than the other melee fighters.
  • Multiple Choice Past: In the original game, his clan far from the Green Heart, and was forced to migrate to the Northlands due to the Riftwar (Potentially making his tribe one of the ones that Longbow tricked into fighting the Tsurani during the siege of Crydee). In the novel, his tribe was originally from the area that eventually became the Principality of Krondor, and migrated north due to pressures from Keshian (and later Kingdom) settlers.
  • Noble Fugitive: As one of the most powerful moredhel chieftains and Delekhan's rival for the throne.
  • Odd Friendship: With Owyn.
  • Old Master: Technically, since he's a moredhel chieftain, and still alive..
  • Overrated and Underleveled: ...Not that the above shows on his starting stats much.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: Becomes more of a Warrior Poet as the story unfolds.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: The novelization pegs him at 260.
  • Red Herring Mole: Gorath's true loyalties and motives remain in doubt for much of the game. But no, he really is trying to save his people by cooperating with humans and doesn't have any hidden plan beyond that, because yes, things really are that bad and he is that desperate.
  • Reluctant Warrior: At least by moredhel standards. Though he could easily have competed for the position of leader of all the moredhel, he lacks the ambition, and his own time of chieftainship consisted of usually having his clan keep to themselves and not engage in hostilities.
  • Scarily Competent Tracker
  • Sword and Sorcerer: With Owyn.
  • The Big Guy
  • The Chains of Commanding: He did his best to keep the moredhel from charging foolishly into another war. As a result, his tribe is nearly wiped out, and his wife, who considers his decisions to be those of a coward, wants to have nothing more to do with him, and seems to blame him for allowing their tribe's fall from glory. Those he used to command view him as a traitor for choosing to cooperate with humans. At the time the story takes place, he is withdrawn, humourless and impassive.
  • The Comically Serious: Occasionally.
  • The Determinator: He flinches at nothing in his quest to save his people from destruction. Examples include surrendering himself as a messenger to the humans his people have waged bloody war against for centuries, with his own kind branding him traitor and no reason to expect anything better than torture and execution at the hands of those he seeks help from. Or going to Elvandar, the home of the eledhel, when even travelling there causes him physical agony. Or letting himself be teleported blindly to the location of the most powerful magician on two worlds currently in need of a rescue. Or insisting that the mages may need his help in the final battle, even prompting Pug to point out that he has "already given too much to this quest". Determinator to the end.
  • The Exile: due to being considered politically dangerous by his enemies, and a traitor by almost everyone else.
  • The Quiet One
  • The Stoic
  • The Spock: Very much. He reasoned that another war would devastate the moredhel race as a whole and leave them crippled even if they won, which is why he opposed Delekhan's war efforts from the start, despite his entire clan getting slaughtered as a result. Later on, if you try to go back to Cavall Keep in Chapter VI, Owyn mentions that he's worried that the moredhel party that ambushed them earlier might have gone past and killed everyone there, and that he'd like to check to make sure they're safe. Gorath makes the case that his peace of mind is nowhere as important as actually making sure that Delekhan's armies are stopped, otherwise his family WILL be in danger for certain.
  • The Wise Prince: a darker and edgier version, but Gorath is distinguished through caring about the welfare of all his people, not just the ones who answer to him, and wishes to make them into "more than savages".
  • Too Cool to Live
  • Tragic Dream: Gorath dreams of his people becoming "more than savages" and no longer needing to live in constant fear and hatred for each other and the other nations. Which doesn't sound that unachievable until you remember that moredhel have been waging war against humans non-stop for as long as they've had contact, that it's partially the residual magical influence of the multiverse-conquering dragon riders that's keeping the moredhel in that mindset, and that any moredhel who snap out of it usually end up being converted into full-blown eledhel by the Call of Elvandar and leave the moredhel society, as it eventually happens with Gorath. No "making your people into more than savages" for you, mister. That the moredhel still haven't changed a few centuries later in the books only supports this notion.
  • Warrior Poet: See character quote above. How much of it is simply revealed as the game goes on or develops as he becomes more familiar with human society is up to interpretation.
  • Wild Hair: Especially in contrast to Locklear's and Owyn's neat ponytails.

Owyn Beleforte

"If you EVER put us through that again, I will invent a cantrip whose sole purpose is to cause you to fall desperately in love with a warthog -- may the two of you live happily ever after!"

The youngest son of a minor noble, Owyn has no interest for the life of petty politics and court business in store for him, and wishes to practice magic. He was traveling home from a relative's wedding when fate intervened, and he ended up accompanying Gorath on his quest first out of necessity, then out of a lust for adventure.

  • Action Duo: with Gorath
  • Action Survivor: Starts out as this, as the one with practically no combat skill, travelling with two very skilled warriors, chased by moredhel assassins who can anticipate their every move.
  • Canon Foreigner: Like the others, he gets canonised in the novelisation, yes, but he never appears anywhere else. A particularly jarring example, since he comes out of it alive, a very powerful magician with a great destiny in store for him, aware of the secret of Sethanon, and implicitly Pug's apprentice to boot. His absence in subsequent books is handwaved with a "went home, gave up magic and lived a normal life" explanation.
  • Curious as a Monkey: About magic and anything strange and alien. While his curiosity more commonly manifests in tireless questions for whatever unfortunate NPC has just demonstrated knowledge of magic, his usual reaction to encountering a magical object is to go and fiddle with it. Results vary.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Sometimes.
  • Foil: to Gorath.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: Again, with Gorath.
  • I'm Not Doing That Again: See above quote - his reaction after they finish executing Gorath's convoluted plan that nearly gets them gassed and drowned.
  • Jumped At the Call: More of first backing away, then being dragged along, released, and then jumping at it, really.
  • Kid Sidekick: Nineteen years is pushing the "kid" boundary a bit, but all other traits work out, and compared to his 260-year-old companion...
  • Morality Pet: to Gorath, though it's less "acting morally" and more "showing off your softer side".
  • Multiple Choice Past: In the game, he's from Tiburn and is coming home from a cousin's wedding when he meets Locklear. In the novelisation, he's from Timons, is coming home after dropping out of Stardock, and jumps at the chance to join the party because he doesn't want to face his father, who disapproves of him studying magic. The latter aspect is consistent in both stories, though - in the game, he actually scammed his father for money to pay for a magic tutor, at the age of fourteen.
  • Odd Friendship: with Gorath
  • Put on a Bus: In the game, the bus goes to Stardock, where he gets a full scholarship to study magic under the watchful eye of Pug, who intends to make certain that he doesn't talk about Sethanon. In the novel, the bus goes back to his family home in Timons. The bus never returns.
  • Simple Staff: His Weapon of Choice, for both physical combat and spellcasting.
  • Squishy Wizard, eventually a Glass Cannon
  • Took a Level in Badass: By the end of the game he can go toe-to-toe with wyverns, elementals, mostly imprisoned gods and Tsurani Great Ones.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: His father doesn't quite approve of him studying magic.

Squire James, aka Jimmy the Hand

"Hear that, Locky? The moredhel approves. It must be a good idea. Let's get moving before I regain my common sense."

Orphaned at a young age, James was one of the finest thieves in Krondor when he met Prince Arutha, and ended up saving his life and becoming a member of his court. Though officially banished and rejected by the Mockers, Jimmy nevertheless retains an unspoken right to use their thieves' highways to go about his business in service of the Prince to whom he owes complete loyalty. Under the tutolage of Prince Arutha, his already noteworthy skill with a rapier has become legendary.

Patrus

"...And if it weren't bad enough I had to chase you, you made me get rocks in my best shoes! I'm blistered! Know how mad I get when my feet hurt? I get river bottom mud sucking badger whacked mad... [...] Go 'way. I'm busy right now agitatin' this here moredhel..."

A... quirky old man who, after the success of Pug's magic academy of Stardock, finds himself a bit short on students and things to do, and turns to working on the moredhel invasion problem. Spry for his old age, and very down to earth. Also, you probably shouldn't make him mad...

Pug of Stardock

Once a poor orphan living in Crydee, now the most powerful magician on both Midkemia and Kelewan, and a trained Tsurani Great One. Pug is also an adopted member of the royal family and has a loyal friend in Warleader Tomas of Elvandar.

  • Adaptation Dye Job: He has short-ish dark brown hair and a beard and wears a black Great One robe in the books. In the game, he is clean-shaven, has shoulder-length blond hair, and wears a white robe.
  • A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Pug messing with the Cup on Timiranya despite knowing that it's probably dangerous. He's desperate to save his daughter, but it leads to him magically crippled and helpless until much later, when his rescuers come along, thus giving Makala time to all but complete his plans.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Pug is a rather amiable guy, but for god's sake don't threaten anyone he loves.
  • Deus Exit Machina: The Great One Makala tries to do this to him by kidnapping Gamina. It ultimately backfires.
  • I Have Your Daughter: Makala kidnaps Pug's adopted daughter Gamina under the pretense that he's enforcing Tsurani law (which forbids females with magical talent from living). Pug follows her and ends up trapped on an alien world where magic doesn't work.
  • Overrated and Underleveled: A justified example, since a magical artifact left him drained of his power.
  • Squishy Wizard, Glass Cannon
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