This is a list of The Belgariad and The Malloreon characters. The Belgariad and The Malloreon are two parts of a fantasy epic written by David Eddings and Leigh Eddings. [1] [2] [3] Note: All of the statements (deceased, married) are written from the information by the end of the series.
Note: These characters are the main protagonists to the story. There are many other minor and supporting protagonists, including some royalty.
Note: This section includes the three disciples of Torak, along with other major antagonists in the story.
[4] ==Disciples of Aldur==
Aldur is the eldest of the seven gods. He is worshipped by no race of people, but has a number of disciples: Belgarath, Beldin, the twins Belkira and Beltira, Belzedar (formerly), Polgara, Belmakor (deceased), Belsambar (deceased), Belgarion, Beldurnik (formerly Durnik, admitted in the Malloreon), and Poledra, as mentioned in Polgara the Sorceress . His totem animal is the owl; this is never mentioned in the primary story (though the owl is commonly associated with his disciples), but appears in the Rivan Codex.
After Aldur and his brothers create the world in which the stories are set, Aldur refuses to take a seventh part of mankind to worship him, leaving the ancestors of the Ulgos, Dals, Morindim, Karands, and Melcenes Godless. Instead, he takes disciples, prepending Bel- to their names. Polgara and Poledra are also counted among the Disciples, as is shown by the prefix Pol- being the feminine of Bel-. At one stage, Aldur also names Polgara as his Beloved daughter, although this may be connected to the title "Ancient and Beloved", given to her father Belgarath. The Disciples all at some time take residence at the Vale of Aldur, where each disciple has its own tower, apart from Poledra and Polgara who inhabit a cottage at the far edge of the Vale. Aldur also possesses a tower, wherein furniture may appear or disappear as he wishes.
The Belgariad's MacGuffin is the Orb of Aldur: a sentient stone polished into a roughly spherical shape by Aldur, and seized by Torak.
Belar is the youngest of the seven gods. He is the god of the Alorns, and his totem animal is the bear. Belar is closely allied with Aldur in the War of Destinies, and is also described as being close to Mara. When he maintains a physical presence in the world, he appears as a young man, and is known for drinking and feasting with Alorn warriors, and for lavishing his attentions on young women. In Guardians of the West, he is identified as an incessant speaker.
Chaldan is the god of the Arends, and his totem animal is the bull. Chaldan emphasises pride and militaristic tradition as virtues; therefore sermons at funerals are not concerned with the comforting of the bereaved, but with vengeance. Chaldan does not play a significant role in the stories.
Issa is the god of the Nyissans. His totem animal is the serpent. Though physically present in the world, Issa spends long periods sleeping, disguised as a large statue behind the royal throne of Nyssa. When all the gods save Torak left the world, he gave the governance of his people to his high priestess, Salmissra, but neglected to prolong her life. A long line of subsequent Salmissras ruled in her stead, each chosen by their resemblance to the original, and also given the ability to summon a physical incarnation of Issa. The last Salmissra is eventually changed into a snake and made immortal by Polgara.
Mara is the god of the Marags. His totem animal, never mentioned except in the Rivan Codex, is the bat. Known as the "weeping god" for his long mourning after the Tolnedran massacre of the Marags, Mara is surrounded by the ghosts of his dead people, so that few could enter his domain without being driven mad. The exception is the monastery at Mar Terrin, where Tolnedran monks attempt to comfort the spirits of the Marags. He is found always howling in the ruins of Mar Amon, his capital, until the restoration of the Marags.
Nedra is the second-oldest of the seven gods. He is the god of the Tolnedrans, and his totem animal is the lion. Nedra instills the values of thrift and wealth into his people: as a result, Tolnedrans are often associated with avarice, materialism, and deceit. Their culture thrives on enterprise and commerce. Nedra has several proverbs attributed to him that come in the form of advice for commerce.
Torak is the third of the seven Gods. His people are the Angaraks, and his is the only totem animal counted among the monstrous races (perhaps due to Torak's vain attempts to enhance the creature): the dragon. The left side of his body, most notably his face and hand, are maimed by the Orb of Aldur; and his left eye (called 'the Eye that Was Not') perpetually burns with the Orb's blue fire. Beldin therefore referred to Torak as "Old burnt-face"; this reference hints at Beldin's true identity when he is in disguise, as he is the only one to use it.
Alone among his brothers, Torak served the Dark in the War of the Gods, caused by himself; and when almost defeated, he forced the Orb to create a new ocean, with his worshippers on one side and their enemies on the other. As the head of a theocratic military culture, Torak drove the Angaraks to dominate their neighbors the Dals, Karands, and Melcenes, and conquered much of the eastern continent. Like many fantasy villains, Torak almost achieves domination of the world, only to be vanquished in a great battle, and re-appears, after a long absence, in the central story, wherein he is slain by Belgarion.
After Belgarion slays Torak, the Orb restores his face.
Eriond, originally called Errand, was a spirit originally meant to be the God of the Angaraks until a 'Great Accident' (the misplaced explosion of a star) caused Torak to exist. Eriond thereafter persisted in spirit until Zedar began his search for the Orb of Aldur. Errand then appeared as a child to Zedar, who used him to seize the Orb. The name "Errand" is not derived from "Eriond", but is simply the only word that he, in his child form, was able to remember for many years. In this form, Errand was raised as Polgara's ward; and in his adulthood, accompanied Belgarion to the 'High Places of Korim', to achieve his own apotheosis. It is stated, though not seen in the stories, that upon apotheosis, he would eventually replace all the other Gods. He takes no totem animal, but is frequently accompanied by an unusual stallion (a stillborn colt revived by Belgarion), simply named Horse.
UL is the mysterious god of the Ulgos, who originally were a tribe of people without a god of their own. He is not counted among the traditional seven, and theologians of their religions are ambivalent in their treatment of him. At the end of The Belgariad, it is revealed that he is the father of the seven gods, and omnipresent as well. He is also god of the monstrous beasts rejected by his sons. UL is served by a High Priest, who is always called Gorim. The successive Gorims, although not immortal, live as long as UL requires them to serve. The successor of the Gorim is identified as having violet eyes. Poledra also served UL for many years, and so may be considered his disciple as much as Aldur's. In the War of Destinies, he is generally seen on the side of Light, often working closely with Aldur. Due to his appearance as one in The Seeress of Kell, his totem may be an albatross. David Eddings mentions, in the Rivan Codex, that the spelling of UL in capital letters was a typographical error permitted to stand.
These are characters in the Belgariad and the Malloreon that influence the story, but do not fit into any of the other categories.
The Prophecy of Light is the positive main driving force of the protagonists, six of gods, and Eriond. Often called the "dry voice" in Garion's mind, to whom (and occasionally through whom to others) it offered guidance.
Cyradis is the Seer chosen to appoint Light or Dark as the dominant moral force of the story's world in the final meeting between the rival prophesies. She first appears to Errand at the Vale of Aldur; later to the other protagonists at Rheon; and is shown as a slight girl with dark blonde hair and a blindfold over her eyes. She is escorted by the mute Toth. During the final Choice, Polgara removes her blindfold, to assist her decision; and Cyradis chooses Eriond (Light) over Geran (Dark), but loses her second sight. She is married to Zakath at the end of the series.
Senji is an Alchemist and Sorcerer whom Beldin, Belgarath, and Garion meet in Melcene during Sorceress of Darshiva after they followed Zandramas' trail there. He is identified as 'the Clubfoot' by Cyradis and is around 3900 years old. He leads the sorcerers to a museum where the Sardion once rested and gives Belgarath a copy of the Ashabine Oracles. His power is weaker than theirs because of lack of practice due to his focus on transmutation of metals through alchemy.
Alorns are the people of Belar, that occupy the north-western part of the western continent. Divided into several nations to better protect the Orb of Aldur, but retaining strong military and economic ties.
Angaraks are the people of Torak. In Mallorea, they are the dominant people in the northwest, and are common throughout the Empire as soldiers and administrators. In the west, they occupy the southern half of the continent, and the lands east of the Escarpment in the north. They are divided into distinct castes, as shown below:
Arends are the people of Chaldan, inhabiting Arendia on the western continent and the island of Perivor off Mallorea. The Arendish nobility emphasize pride, honor, and military prowess, while the serfs form the downtrodden masses, with little variation in their conditions across the country. For most of its history, Arendia was embroiled in civil wars among the three major duchies of Asturia, Mimbre, and Wacune.
Marags are the people of Mara. They are generally thought to be extinct at the time of The Belgariad, after a genocidal war waged by the Tolnedrans. It is later revealed that Tolnedrans sold Marag survivors to Nyissan slavers who in turn sold them to the Murgos, and that some still lived in the slave pens under Rak Cthol.
Most details about Maragor come from Belgarath the Sorcerer, wherein it is stated girls were born 8 to 9 times more often than boys. As a result, Marag women controlled society. The governing body was a group of nine elder women known as the "Council of Matriarchs". Marriage was relatively unknown, and sexual promiscuity was common. In general, a Marag male's role in society was reduced to athletic contests or military service.
A mistranslated passage of their religious texts caused a practice of ritual cannibalism, which the Tolnedrans used as an excuse to invade their country, though they were seeking the abundant gold in actuality. This led to the genocidal war previously mentioned.
Nyissans are the people of Issa. The state of Nyissa is situated on the swampy equatorial west coast of the western continent. The head of state is the high priestess Salmissra, who is chosen for physical resemblance to her long-dead namesake. Most Nyissan people shave off their hair, because the insects native to the swamps of Nyissa like to nest in it. The use of drugs and poisons is common in politics.
Sendars are a people of primarily Alorn and Arendish descent, located north of Arendia on the coast of the western continent. The land that is now Sendaria was once the Arendish Duchy of Erat, owned by Polgara the Sorceress. Tolnedran Emperor Ran Horb II worked successfully to establish the independent Kingdom of Sendaria, to prevent Arendia from becoming more influential than Tolnedra. Practicality and a strong work ethic are intrinsic to the Sendarian national identity, and a lot of food eaten in the west is grown in Sendaria. Sendars are unusual in that they elected their first king, Fundor the Magnificent, who was originally a rutabaga (and cabbage) farmer.
Tolnedrans are the people of Nedra, dwelling in the Empire of Tolnedra in the subtropical north of the western continent. Tolnedrans are known for their obsession with trade and money (which they are said to have invented). Tolnedra is ruled by one of the five major families: the Honethites, the Vorduvians, the Borunes, the Horbites, and the Ranites. The Belgariad and The Mallorean take place during the reign of Ran Borune XXIII and his successor Varana (later Ran Borune XXIV). The primary military force of Tolnedra are the numerous Legions: a heavy infantry similar to the Roman legionaries. They are also unusual in their complete rejection of, and disbelief in, the concepts of magic and sorcery, on the basis of principles.
Ulgos originally were Godless, but after years of pleading on the top of a mountain, their leader convinced the god UL to rule and protect them and the animals and beasts that the other gods did not. After UL renamed their leader Gorim, he returned to his people but only a minority of the group believed him. Angered by their flippant disregard for his years of dedication, the Gorim cursed the remaining so they would have no children, and he left with his followers. The Ulgos live in a city in an extensive cave system under the mountains of Ulgoland, where the forementioned beasts live. The Ulgos continually remember their godless state, and thus are ever thankful to UL and are extremely religious. They played a major role in the Battle of Vo Mimbre as they swept from the mountains onto Torak's forces and diminished their size dramatically.
Other human races are descended from the Godless Ones: ethnicities chosen by no god (Aldur abstaining from selection) at the beginning of the human race. They are widely spread across both continents and have physical diversity comparable to the other races.
David Carroll Eddings was an American fantasy writer. With his wife Leigh, he authored several best-selling epic fantasy novel series, including The Belgariad (1982–84), The Malloreon (1987–91), The Elenium (1989–91), The Tamuli (1992–94), and The Dreamers (2003–06).
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This complete list of works by American fantasy author David Eddings.
