| “ | Never any peace, eh, your Majesty? Never the slightest peace. | ” |
— Yoru Sulfur to King Jezal
| ||
Yoru Sulfur is a member of the Order of the Magi. Not one of Juvens's original twelve apprentices, but one of Bayaz's apprentices, who has since earned his staff and acts as Bayaz's servant.
Appearance and Personality[]
Yoru Sulfur is a man who appears to be in his thirties with curly brown hair and mismatched eyes (one blue and one green). His skin is too dark for him to be from The Union, and too light to be Gurkish.[1] He's very nondescript, having a blandly pleasant manner and plain appearance and dress that allows him to fit in comfortably everywhere.
When Sulfur interacts with others, he's always smiling and has a friendly demeanor. He is very loyal to Bayaz, and serves as Bayaz' right hand man, sometimes literally as a servant and bodyguard.
Powers[]
Secretly, he is Bayaz' personal Eater. His primary power is shapeshifting, allowing him to take on the appearance of anyone. His shapeshifting is used regularly and to great effect by Bayaz in his constant machiavellian manipulations within the Union and further afield. At one point he turns into the peasant rebel leader The Tanner, and later into High Justice Marovia.
He is also inhumanly strong, fast and durable as demonstrated by him stopping a piece of shrapnel from an exploding cannon headed in the direction of Bayaz with his hand in The Heroes. Later in The Trouble with Peace he quickly dispatches of group of would be armed assassins trying to kill King Orso with nothing but his bare hands. He also incinerates one who attempts to flee demonstrating at least some ability to use high art.
Curiously though, despite his formidable abilities, Sulfur was reluctant to engage Shenkt in a fight at the end of Best Served Cold.
History[]
Yoru Sulfur was once Bayaz' apprentice, long before Malacus Quai. He and Shenkt seem to have known each other well, and may have studied together; the pair both became Eaters. Sulfur's studies took quite a dark path, which Yulwei finds troubling.
He has since graduated and earned his staff, but still treats Bayaz as his Master. He represents his interests when Bayaz can't show up in person, and as a representative of Valint & Balk, the bank Bayaz uses to manipulate the world behind the scenes.
The Blade Itself[]
Yoru Sulfur gains an audience with Lord Chamberlain Hoff in order to herald his master Bayaz' return to The Union. The Lord Chamberlain is expecting to be entertained by a fake Magi, but Sulfur gives the kind of proof that brooks no argument. Hoff is clearly shaken, and grants him a private audience with the Closed Council.[1]
Sulfur remains in Adua while waiting for Bayaz. One day, he approaches Jezal dan Luthar and introduces himself. When Jezal mentions his intention to give up on The Contest, Yoru is outraged. He implores him not to quit, telling him the First of the Magi would be horrified; The Contest is a way to get noticed by the public. Jezal is left bemused by this strangers interest in his fencing.[2]
When Bayaz arrives at the gates of the Agriont, Sulfur is there to greet him. Sulfur accompanies Morrow, Bayaz, Quai and Ninefingers to meet with the Closed Council.[3]
Sulfur congratulates Jezal for his victory in the Contest when the Captain is summoned by the High Justice Marovia the day of his departure for Angland. He adds the curious comment that he's envies his trip to the Edge of the World.[4]
Before They Are Hanged[]
Yoru Sulfur takes on the guise of one of the Knights of the Body, and murders Crown Prince Raynault. Sulfur leaves a piece of cloth to make it seem that he was killed by Gurkish ambassador Tulkis. The murder is part of Bayaz' plan to place Jezal dan Luthar on the throne, and prevent The Union and The Gurkish Empire making peace.
However, Superior Glokta insists on continuing a private investigation into the murder. Curiously, he learns that the Prince’s guard cannot be found. He hasn’t been seen by his family since the day before the Raynault’s death. In the end, Mauthis from Valint & Balk is sent to end the investigation.
Last Argument of Kings[]
After Bayaz' failed trip to retrieve The Seed, he meets with Yoru Sulfur in Adua, and tells him to trigger the next part of their plan. Soon a peasant revolt flares near Keln, roused by a man named The Tanner. Colonel Jezal is ordered by the Closed Council to quell the rebellion, with Bayaz’s help. They meet the leaders of the peasant revolt; The Tanner is none other than Sulfur in disguise. The Tanner quickly accepts the meagre concessions offered, and Jezal returns to a hero’s welcome; as Bayaz had planned.
With Adua under siege by the Gurkish, Bayaz goes to the House of the Maker, to get The Divider and other weapons to fight the Gurkish Eaters. When he returns, Bayaz hands the Divider to Sulfur, in exchange for a black book, wrapped in old oilskin; Glustrod's book on the ritual to use The Seed.
As the Gurkish breach the inner city and closed on the Agriont, Sulfur takes on the guise of High Justice Marovia in order to guard King Jezal; Marovia had been killed by Arch Lector Sult's demonic rituals in the University. The Eaters eventually break into the palace, but Marovia keeps the King moving even as the Knights of the Body die. Eventually, The Twins corner the King, Marovia and the King's First Guard Gorst in the Chambre of Mirrors. However, Marovia leaps forward and kills them with The Divider. Marovia’s face then simply melts to reveal Yoru Sulfur.
Later, Bayaz reveals to new Arch Lector Glokta that Sulfur is in fact an Eater. He is last seen leaving Adua with Bayaz, carrying The Seed in the dark metal box.
Best Served Cold[]
With Grand Duke Orso of Talins being backed by Valint & Balk, Yoru Sulfur is seen throughout Styria. Morveer sees him speaking with Mauthis in Westport. Cosca sees him with Prince Ario in Sipani. Shivers sees him speaking with Faithful Carpi near Puranti. Morveer sees him again in Talins, when he is hired by Duke Orso.
In the end, Duke Orso is defeated, and Monza becomes Grand Duchess of Talins, which is thriving thanks to merchants flooding to the city as one of the only stable state in Styria. She gets a visit from Yoru Sulfur, who offers the backing of Valint & Balk. However, wary of supporting either Bayaz or Khalul, Monza refuses him, as she had previously refused Ishri. Sulfur’s sweet smiles hardens into thinly veiled threats, until Shenkt steps out from the shadows. Sulfur and Shenkt stalk each other like predators, clearly there is a long and sordid history between these two. Monza dismisses Sulfur saying that she does not kneel.
The Heroes[]
Yoru Sulfur follows his master Bayaz to the North, where the Union are at war with King Black Dow; seemingly acting merely as his butler. When Bayaz tests his cannons, Sulfur protects him with blurring speed. It is insinuated although never explained, that Sulfur played a part in the North, disguised as one of Ironhead’s Carls and one of the Crinna-men with Stranger-Come-Knocking.
A Little Hatred[]
Yoru Sulfur seems to be everywhere intriguing for his master. He introduces himself to Savine at the Solar Society in Adua. Next he's in The North, passing on the message to Black Calder that Bayaz will indulged this little war, but it must be brought to a swift conclusion. Next he's in Valbeck, keeping an eye on Prince Orso's handling of the insurrection. And finally, he is back in Adua, greeting Bayaz outside a branch of Valint and Balk.
The Trouble With Peace[]
When Bayaz departs Adua to deal with more trouble in the West, Yoru Sulfur continues to serve his interests. The Burners orchestrate an assassination attempt against King Orso at the demonstration of Honrig Curnsbick's steam engine. It is actually quite cleverly, if ruthlessly, planned and might have succeeded, but for the unanticipated presence of Sulfur, an Eater. He steps in to defend the king and ends up slaughtering all of them as Orso looks on in shock. Later, Orso receives a warning from an anonymous friend of a plot to overthrow the government, with "friends in the north". Sulfur departs for The North, talking with both Black Calder and Finree dan Brock, but the younger generation refuses to honor the debts of the older.
At the Battle of Stoffenbeck, Sulfur is at the king's side. Orso half-heartedly asks if he has any magical help, but Sulfur says armies are beyond even his skill, and better dealt with by traditional methods. After the battle, he is present at the hanging of the leaders of the rebellion. When Orso commutes Leo dan Brock's sentence to life imprisonment, Sulfur objects but the king is firm in his decision.
The Wisdom of Crowds[]
To be added
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Blade Itself, Part I, The Good Man
- ↑ The Blade Itself, Part I, The Course of True Love
- ↑ The Blade Itself, Part II, Barbarians at the Gate
- ↑ The Blade Itself, Part II, Misery