King of the Silver River
| King of the Silver River | |
|---|---|
| Shannara character | |
| First appearance | The Elves of Cintra |
| Last appearance | N/A (immortal) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Faerie |
| Gender | Male (Can change if necessary) |
| Loyalty | The Four Lands |
| Magic item or equipment | Almost anything that he wishes to do |
The King of the Silver River is a fictional character from the Shannara series of epic fantasy[1] novels by Terry Brooks. He has appeared in many of the novels in the series as a recurring character.[citation needed]
Biography
The King of the Silver River is the oldest surviving living being in the Four Lands, having been in the world even before the Age of Faerie.[2]
He was one of the first creatures created by the Word, the force that all things came from. He was made caretaker of the gardens that he protects, the last remnants of the Old World that survive in the new. He was one of the few beings to survive the Great Wars, and set about seeding the new world with that contained in his gardens. As time went on, the people of the lands gave him the name of the country he claimed, calling him the King of the Silver River.
Before time became time recorded, he was there. Before men and women, before nations and governments, before all of the history of humankind, he was there. Even before the world of Faerie split in war between good and evil, fixing unalterably the character of life thereafter, he was there. He was there in that time when the world was a sacred Eden and all living things existed together in peace and harmony. He was long then, a faerie creature himself while the faerie creatures of the earth were just being born.[3]
The King of the Silver River faded from outside eyes for the most part, becoming just a legend or fairy tale to the world during the time between the Age of Faerie and end of the Great Wars.
For centuries he labored in anonymity, his existence little more than a myth that became part of the folklore of the nations building around him, a fantasy told with smug smiles and smug indulgence. It was not until after the cataclysm men called the Great Wars, the final destruction of the old world and the emergence of the new races, that the myth began to gain acceptance as truth. For it was then that he chose for the first time ever to go out from the gardens to the land beyond...In time the new races came to...[speak] of him and of his land with awe and with respect...They named him after the country he had made his own. They called him the King of the Silver River.[4]
Genesis of Shannara[A 1]
The King of the Silver River does not appear in Armageddon's Children, but in The Elves of Cintra, he uses his magic to rescue Hawk and Tessa when they are thrown from the top of the Safeco Field compound. He instructs Hawk about leading the inhabitants of earth to safety, before returning Hawk and Tessa to their home.[citation needed] Also, in these novels, readers can see that the Columbia River is the Silver River from the series.[citation needed]
The Original Shannara Trilogy
The Sword of Shannara
In The Sword of Shannara, the King saved Shea Ohmsford and his brother Flick Ohmsford from a Skull Bearer.[citation needed]
The Elfstones of Shannara
In The Elfstones of Shannara the King saved Wil Ohmsford and Amberle Elessedil from a pack of Demon Wolves and Furies by whisking them away to his personal home, one that was almost removed from the world of men.[citation needed]
Note
- ^ The biography of the King of the Silver River is arranged in chronological order by what he did in each series. However, this differs from the publishing order of the novels.
The Measure of the Magic He also appears in The Measure of the Magic where he instructs Prue Liss to aid Panterra Qu in leading the people of the Valley into the New World.
References
- ^ Speakman, Shawn (2008). "Terry Brooks' official website". Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ Gong, Minnie (2008). "The Wishsong of Shannara Character List". Retrieved 2008-06-24. [dead link]
- ^ Brooks, Terry (1982) The Elfstones of Shannara Page 115
- ^ Brooks, Terry (1982) The Elfstones of Shannara Pages 116-117