Under My Thumbscrews Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sand dan Glokta

Glokta was the Union's rising star. Extremely handsome, a master swordsman (and winner of the Contest) and he bravely led the Union's charge in the First Ghurkish War. Despite his reputation as a notorious womanizer, he was loved and respected by all. That was until he was captured by the Ghurkish and brutally tortured for two years, rendering him a near cripple.

He returned to the Union a broken man but then discovered his own talents as a torturer, using the experiences that he'd endured within the Ghurkish dungeons to good effect.

He becomes one of the most feared men in the Union and is a major player within this storyline.

Answer: Jezal dan Luthur

"He wiped his face, and then - his favourite part of the day - gazed at himself in the looking glass". That quote probably sums up Luthur in a nutshell. He is handsome, he is wealthy, has a penchant for cards, women and wine and Bayez, the First of the Magi, needs him to win the Contest.

The Contest is a highly prestigious fencing competition that elevates the winners to a great standing. The problem for Luthur is that he's not that good. Eventually, he falls for the sister, Ardee, of his friend, Major West, and it is she that puts him on the right track. Luthur is at the point of asking Ardee to marry him when he becomes King of the Union, is forced to let Ardee go and is delivered into a marriage for the furtherment of the Union's cause.

Answer: Logen Ninefingers

Logen is also known as "The Bloody Nine" and is considered to be the most feared warrior in the world. An immense man, he sought out battles as a young man with a view to establish a name that could be feared. He succeeded. Nowadays he looks to move away from a world of violence but it is never too far away. Hailing from the North, where he is a Named Man, he is underestimated in the South and has, in fact, a very astute military mind. Preferring the sword as his weapon in battle he is also armed with numerous knives ("you can never have too many knives").

He fights with skill; however, when cornered, the rage takes over and he becomes a "Hulk" style character who simply kills and pays little mind to whomever is in his way.

Answer: Ferro Maljinn

Ferro Maljinn is a dark skinned young woman from the land of Muntaz in Kanta, a country that was conquered by the Ghurkish and had its peoples either scattered or enslaved. Ferro was captured at the age of twelve and sent to a man named Susman to be trained as a sex slave.

Some years later she has escaped and now lives in the desert. Seeking vengeance on anything Ghurkish in nature, she trusts no one and has a fearsome reputation as a warrior. We learn that Ferro is a distant descendant from the Demons of the Old Time and has traces of "Devil's Blood" within her.

This enhances her strength and endurance, increases her tolerance to pain and allows her to heal at a faster rate. She can go without sleep for long periods and can see in almost total darkness.

Her single weakness is that she is totally colourblind.

Answer: Dogman

The Dogman is a lean warrior and Logen Ninefingers' oldest friend. Very astute and highly loyal, he has developed a reputation as the finest scout in the North. One of the weapons within his bag of skills is his acute sense of smell, which has gotten him out of more trouble than he cares to think of. Responsibility is thrust upon him early in the storyline when Logen is presumed dead and he becomes the voice of reason within Logen's old crew, before the individual egos of its members can tear it apart.

Answer: Collem West

West is both intelligent and diligent. He comes from Angland, in the North, and is one of the best equipped soldiers to lead the Union's forces. However, despite his abilities he is regularly overlooked for those of lesser abilities but whose parents have a higher station within the system.

A good example of West's determination is that, despite limited fencing ability, he had previously prevailed in the Contest. This leads to him being seconded into training Jezal dan Luthur in his bid to win the Contest. West is to become a key figure in the looming war between the Union and Bethod's Northmen.

Answer: Nicomo Cosca

Soldier of fortune is an apt description of Nicomo. He has earned many fortunes in his career but somehow always finds himself without one. He dresses extravagantly and tries to pass himself off as a fine Styrian dandy but is, in truth, a drunk bordering on being an alcoholic. Matter of fact, with his constant spouting of "a drink, a drink, a drink", forget about the bordering, he's definitely crossed the line in that regard.

Despite the near hopeless scenarios he always finds himself in, he remains the ultimate cockroach and lives to fight another day.

Answer: Bayez

The Magi are a loose alliance of wizards that were formed in the Old Time and use a form of magic called the High Art by drawing power from the Other Side. The high god, Juvens, took Bayez on as the first of the apprentices.

Bayez is a powerful figure who looks to be about sixty years old but his age can be measured in centuries. He seems to have eyes and ears everywhere, steers events to his tune and expects his orders to be obeyed. He sees the Union as the cradle of civilisation and works to ensure that it remains stable.

Answer: Bethod

Tall and handsome, Bethod has an extremely ruthless streak and unites the highly fractious Northmen by defeating all his enemies. He proclaims himself king and is the first as such in two hundred years, such has been the in-fighting in the region. Keys within his victory are the use of the First of the Magi, Bayez and his magical skills, as well as Logen Ninefingers as his champion.

However, both of these alliances go awry and each, particularly Logen, play a part in his ultimate downfall.

Answer: Black Dow

Black Dow is strong and agile, is skilled with both sword and axe, has no qualms about killing anyone that gets in his way and has a fondness for burning his enemies. Dow is one of the mightiest warriors in the North, who once fought Logen Ninefingers in the "Circle" and nearly won. Logen spared Dow's life and, as a result, Dow is bound to him and becomes a valuable member of his crew.

After the defeat of Bethod, Logen is crowned the new king, however, Dow conspires with Bethod's sons, forcing Ninefingers to flee and Dow then assumes the mantle of Protector of the North.