Warlock Lord
From The World of Shannara
The Warlock Lord or Brona was major force of evil three wars, the First and Second War of the Races, as well as the War of the Warlock Lord. Brona was once a Druid who was subverted by the evil magic of the Ildatch.
| Brona, Warlock Lord | |
|---|---|
| |
| Race: | Man |
| Gender: | Male |
| Hair color: | Unknown |
| Eye color: | Unknown |
| Loyalty: | Himself, Ildatch |
| First appearance: | First King of Shannara |
| Birth: | Unknown |
| Death: | By Shea Ohmsford, War of the Warlock Lord |
Contents |
Description
There is no description of Brona during his time as a Druid in the council when he was still in human form. He is described five hundred years later as the following:
| “ | Then a hiss rose out of the silence, low and pervasive, and the air began to move... The blackness coalesced, coming together to form a thing of substance where a moment earlier there had been nothing. A black-cloaked figure began to take shape... The Warlock Lord had been there all along, there in the darkness, invisible, watching and waiting... He was not a creature of flesh and blood that could be killed with ordinary weapons. He had transcended his mortal shell through his magic and could now assume any form-or no form at all. | „ |
| -- First King of Shannara (1996), pp. 168-169 | ||
Origin and History
Brona was originally a Druid. But he and his followers delved too deeply and quickly into the arts of magic, going against the Council's guidance. Brona eventually came across a book known as the Ildatch. The dark magic in the book subverted Brona and his followers, and they fled Paranor.
First and Second War of the Races
Brona's first attempt to subvert the Four Lands was relatively soon after leaving the Druid Council with his followers. They successfully subverted the Race of Man to march against the rest of the Races. Thus began the First War of the Races. Brona was defeated by the might of the rest of the Races led by the the First Council of the Druids. Brona was never found and it was assumed that he was dead.
Five hundred years past, before Brona made himself known to the rest of the lands again. It was found that he had made his lair in the Northland, in the area known at the Skull Mountains. From there he subjugated the Trolls and the Gnomes and created a new army to march against the Four Lands.
His first strike was to Paranor. There he and his forces destroyed the Druid Council. He was unable to find the Druid Histories before he was forced to leave the Druid Keep as the magic protector from the Druid's Well came to life. He then sent his forces first against the Dwarves, then against the Elves. It was in his fight with the Elves that his forces where eventually routed. Then his escape blocked by a force of Dwarves, he engaged in combat with Jerle Shannara. Brona was partially successful in the combat in that he was able through the Elven King off balance enough that Jerle was not able to use the full might of the Sword of Shannara against him. Jerle was able to destroy Brona's physical form, but not his spirit.
War of the Warlock Lord
Brona later returned and regained his physical form. He rebuilt his army of Gnomes and Trools and prepared for war once more. He also sent his Skull Bearers out to hunt for the last heir of Jerle Shannara.
Aware of the Sword's location at Paranor, the Warlock Lord sent a portion of his army to take the ancient stronghold and secure the only weapon that could destroy him.
Sometime later, the Warlock Lord sent his enormous army south to conquer Callahorn; this would split the forces allied against him in half and all but secure victory for him. His forces also captured the current Elven king, temporarily removing the threat of the Elves.
However, while his army was on the verge of victory at Tyrsis, the Warlock Lord himself fell: Shea Ohmsford, the last heir of Jerle Shannara, and two accomplices had reached Skull Mountain and were in possession of the Sword. Tosing aside Shea's accomplices, the Warlock Lord attacked Shea. But Shea, unlike his ancestor, managed to bring the full power of the Sword down upon the former Druid. The Sword exposed to the Warlock Lord that his immortality was a lie, and this revelation killed him.
Brona's death broke his army's will, and the Border Legion won the battle at Tyrsis.
Epilogue
Through the rest of the novels and series, Brona is only mention in reference to historical events, particularly the Wars of the Races.
Several hundred years into the future when Grianne Ohmsford is trapped in the Forbidding, she journey's to the darker version of the Hadeshorn. There she summons the shades of the dead, and it is Brona who appears, where he is bound for eternity like is other Druid counterparts back in the Four Lands. Although he is angered at being summoned, he does not attack Grianne, and in fact offers her advice on what to do before returning to his rest under the Hadeshorn.
References
| Major Characters in First King of Shannara |
|---|
|
Bremen · Jerle · Kinson · Mareth · Risca · Tay · Minor Characters |
| Major Characters in The Sword of Shannara |
|---|
|
Allanon · Balinor · Dayel and Durin · Flick · Hendel · Keltset · Menion · Palance · Panamon Creel · Shea · Minor Characters |
| Druids in Shannara |
|---|
|
Allanon · Athabasca · Bremen · Brona · Cogline · Galaphile · Grianne · Kahle Reese · Mareth · Risca · Tay · Walker Boh |
