Jerle Shannara
From The World of Shannara
Jerle Shannara is a fictional character from Terry Brooks' Shannara series of epic fantasy[1][2] novels. Only mentioned as a long-deceased person in the Original Shannara Trilogy, he is one of the main characters of the prequel novel First King of Shannara. He lends his name to the titles of most of the books in the series. Jerle becomes King of the Elves through a twist of fate. A warrior king, he is given a magical sword to use to defeat the Warlock Lord. The Ohmsford family traces their blood lines back through to the Shannara family. This givens them their elven blood line.
| Jerle Shannara | |
|---|---|
| Race: | Elf |
| Gender: | Male |
| Hair color: | Blonde |
| Eye color: | Unknown |
| Loyalty: | Preia, Tay |
| First appearance: | First King of Shannara |
| Birth: | Unknown |
| Death: | Unknown |
Contents |
Origin and History
In childhood, Jerle and Tay Trefenwyd where constant companions, inseparable and adventuresome together, they remian life-long best friends. Jerle was very much in love with Kira Tay's sister. Of completely different temperament's Kira found love somewhere else. Jerle has great difficulty in getting over this. Preia was always in love with Jerle and believes they are meant for each other, whether Jerle knows this or not. Though involved in a relationship together, to Jerle there is no real commitment to Preia.
Cousin to the Elven King, Courtann Ballindarroch is a born warrior. His goal in life was to become captain of the Home Guard. Through skill, hard work, and dedication he gained his goal and sat in that position for many years. However due to experience, and his penchant for speaking his mind, by the time of beginning of the Second War of the Races he is the King's court military advisor.
Second War of the Races
Ballindarroch Assassination
Jerle assists Tay in talking to the Courtann and the High Council, of the threat to the Four Lands and the need to search for the Black Elfstone. Heady with the success of what they get from the Elven High COuncil, Tay and Jerle celebrate heading through the royal grounds to the guard house for ale. They discover something is amiss as they walk through the royal grounds. They discover an minions of the Warlock Lord and a Skull Bearer assassinating the entire elven royal family. Jerle and Tay manage to save the king(though in critical condition), and two small grandchildren. Jerle in battle fury attacks the Skull Bearer himself in assists in killing the creature.
The Sword of Shannara
One night Bremen appears by surprise with Allanon in the main room of the new King. Startled Jerle half-draws his sword and prepares for battle. In that moment Bremen knows the sword is meant for Jerle, for he knows it is the man he was in his vision.
Bremen and Jerle talk of the death of Tay while Allanon guards outside. Bremen shares that the Black Elfstone will not be used against the Warlock Lord. Jerle snaps in anger thinking Tay's death was for nothing. Bremen assures him of the need for the Black Elfstone to keep it away from the Warlock Lord. Bremen shares what he has heard about the Dwarves, and his belief that they are not completely defeated. Talk then moves to the sword. Bremen shares that the power of the sword is as a talisman of truth, not a weapon. That Brona cannot stand up to the truth of who and what he is, and will be destroyed so long as Jerle remains stronger in the truth than Brona. Doubt clouds Jerle as he is already in a place of doubting everything he knows and his whole life. That the magic is something so simple and subtle, only brings more doubt. He is a warrior king, knows action and things concrete. Bremen gives the sword to Jerle and as much encouragement as he can, but Jerle cannot hide the fear and doubt from the Druid.
The Battle for the Rhenn
Jerle lead the rest of his troops out to the entrance of the Valley of Rhenn the next day. Full of doubt he kept to himself. The Northland army was already out in the Streleheim. After scouting out the Northland army Jerle decides to do a small sneak attack that night against the Northland army.
That night, with a small force, the Elves hit the Northland army from three different directions, with quick hit and run tactics. Though the damage in men was hardly a pin prick to the enemy, the Elves where successful in setting fire to a number of the siege engines, in routing most of the horses of the cavalry, and in destroy a large portion of the baggage train. The damage delays the attack of the Rhenn for a further ten days to rebuild the siege weapons and gather more supplies.
Jerle leads the Elven army, often from the front, in its defense of the Rhenn. The Elves successfully checked the Northland army for a few days, though pushed back to the edge of the Valley of Rhenn. Scouts returned and let Jerle know that flanking forces where heading around the Elven army and would be there soon. Jerle's decision at that point was to attack. He believed it was possible for success. That day the enemy had suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the Elves having their siege machines destroyed and countless enemy killed. The King believed that the enemy would be disorganized and already slightly demoralized. He believed that if they could get to the center of the enemy camp, and he could bring the Sword of Shannara to bear against the Warlock Lord and defeat him, the Northland army would disperse.
That night Jerle lead out the remainder of the Elven forces that could still fight in a night attack. The attack was a wild success, in that the back of the enemy forces was broken and the rout began. However Jerle was not able to get to the Warlock Lord before he fleed with the stronger elements of his dark forces.
Confronting the Warlock Lord
After the nights fight, Jerle gave no thought and immediately took up the chase of the Warlock Lord with those Elves under his command able to join the pursuit. In all less than nine hundred joined Jerle in the chase. My midafternoon they caught up with Brona and less than a thousand of his former grand army. They were blocked in their retreat across the Streleheim by the Dwarven force under Raybur. After a short discussion, Jerle was keen and decided to attack immediately. Jerle was able to advance on the Warlock Lord untouched as the battle began to rage around him. At first Preia was by his side, but soon she could nto continue any longer with the wounds that she had sustained from the previous night. Jerle continued on himself alone to the Warlock Lord, who beckoned him on.
When Jerle reached the Warlock Lord and he brought the sword up, the talisman activated and he was faced with the terrible truth about himself. Battered by he, he saw it, accepted it, and forgave himself for it, and grew stronger by it. Upon the first strike to Brona, the effect was immediate and obvious. The onslaught to Jerle's psyche began as the Warlock Lord sought to win and free himself. He struck at the King with words saying that he has abandoned Preia to die, like he abandoned Tay to die. In dismay and rage, Jerle began using the talisman as a weapon to kill Brona. Broma's form was destroyed in a dark heap, with a shadowy presence that fled into the mist.
With that all the other surviving Skull Bearers disappear into a smokeless dark mist and disappeared. Skull Bearers turned to ash, netherworld creatures faded away and the wold ran howling across the plains.[3]
Epilogue
Once the war was over, he and Preia continued to rule Arborlon until his death; the Sword of Shannara was carried by him until then as well, and from there was given to his son, who had it set in a block of Tre-Stone and placed in Paranor. He would never again engage in a war as King. He seems in the other books to be remembered with fondness by the elves, which would speak to him having been a good king. Jerle, of course, is the man for which the legendary house of Shannara is named.
References
- ^ "Once Over" (Nov. 1977). The English Journal 66 (8): 82. National Council of Teachers of English.
- ^ Speakman, Shawn (2008). "Terry Brooks' official website". Retrieved on 2008-05-02
- ^ Brooks, Terry (1996). First King of Shannara pp. 466-480
| Major Characters in First King of Shannara |
|---|
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Bremen · Jerle · Kinson · Mareth · Risca · Tay · Minor Characters |
