Kinson Ravenlock
From The World of Shannara
Kinson Ravenlock AKA "The Borderman" is a fictional character from the Shannara series of novels by Terry Brooks. A tracker of exceptional skill, he born and raised in Callahorn. He appears only in the book First King of Shannara, prelude to the Original Shannara Trilogy.
| Kinson Ravenlock | |
|---|---|
| Race: | Man |
| Gender: | Male |
| Hair color: | Dark |
| Eye color: | Brown |
| Loyalty: | Bremen, Mareth |
| First appearance: | First King of Shannara |
| Birth: | In Callahorn |
| Death: | Unknown |
Contents |
Description
He is described as:
| “ | He was tall, rangy, and broad-shouldered, his dark hair worn long and tied back, his brown eyes sharp adn steady, his lean face all planes and angles but handsome in a rough sort of way. | „ |
| -- First King of Shannara (1996), pp. 4 | ||
Kinson is a relatively quiet man. He respects other peoples space and privacy. A constant traveler, Kinson has been on the move for the better part of twenty years, as such Kinson would much prefer to move and be doing something than waiting for something to happen. He prefers to solve problem by moving and taking some sort of action. He is very loyal to those he respects.
Second War of the Races
Paranor
Kinson joined Bremen in trying to warn the Druids at Paranor. After the failure of that, he accompanied the party of Bremen, Mareth, Risca, and Tay Trefenwyd to the Hadeshorn. There Bremen gains visions that have an insight as to what they need to do to combat and defeat the Warlock Lord. With Tay and Risca departing, Kinson stays with Mareth and Bremen.
The three travel to Paranor and see of the fall of the Druids for themselves. Against Bremen's wishes Kinson and Mareth follow after Bremen into the keep. In the knick of time they race to save the Druid from the creatures left to deal with Bremen. Before Kinson is able to act, Mareth uses her magic and destroys the creatures. Kinson picks up Mareth and with Bremen they race out of Paranor.
Storlock and Cogline
Bremen sends them east to the Stors to learn of where they can find Cogline. Days later as Kinson and Mareth where about to cross the Rabb on their way to meet up with Bremen at Storlock, Mareth tells the Borderman most of her story that she has kept secret. She relates how she lied about being trained at Storlock. She relates most over her history is a cursory way, leaving out her belief that Bremen is her father. She ends telling Kinson about how Cogline forged documents for her so she could enter the Druid Order at Paranor. But the Druids would not help her with her magic, so she wanted to come with Bremen, the one who embraced magic.
In Storlock, Mareth and Kinson are very nearly caught when a group of Trolls come wanting to search out the villages. Mareth uses her magic to appear as a plague victim. This scares way the Trolls and they leave Storlock.
A few days later Bremen joins them, and they leave to go to Darklin Reach in search of Cogline. After a few nights Mareth tells Bremen all that she told Kinson. By weeks end the group reaches Cogline's home at Hearthstone and retrieve a lost formula for making a metal with which to make the sword from Bremen's vision.
Dechtera
After Darklin Reach, the company travels south to the Southland town Dechtera to find someone to forge a sword. Bremen asks Kinson to find the man, as he would find and smith. Kinson spends a few days in the town, listening in taverns, walking the stalls, asking questions. Finally he discovers a perfect sword in a shop window. He goes into the store and talks with the shop keeper about who the smith was that made the weapons. At the end, Kinson bys a long knife made by the same craftsman, spending a great deal of money.
He returns to Bremen and Mareth, leading them to where the Urprox Screl is. During the night of the forging Kinson acts as helper and assistant to Urprox. After the company leaves Dechtera, Kinson is charged with carrying the sword.
To The Eastland
Next the company travels north, to go to the Hadeshorn once more to seek guidance from the Druids gone past. While in the Battlemound Lowlands, Bremen has Kinson cut off and shape a staff. Bremen then infused the staff with Druid magic. He gives the staff to Mareth telling her that this will help channel excess magic into the earth, to keep herself and others from harm.
After crossing the Silver River they discover the Northland army on the Rabb plains heading towards the Elves. Kinson decides it is him who should investigate the army. He spends the evening in the enemy camp learning all he can. In the morning Kinson returns from scouting, confirming that the Northland army believes the Dwarves to be defeated and they now march on the Elves. Bremen sends Kinson and Mareth to the Eastland to find the Dwarves and fetch them if they are still alive.
Before evening falls the two reach Culhaven. There they are met by a man claiming to be Mareth's father. Talking, he holds Mareth spellbound and with a look freezes Kinson. Kinson eventually is able to break the spell and throws a dagger knowing something is not right. The man turns out to be a Skull Bearer. Mareth uses her magic to incinerate the Skull Bearer before it can kill Kinson. She was very distraught believing that she almost killed the two of them, with her obsession with her past. Kinson thanked her for saving his life. In the emotion they embraced, and she kissed Kinson long and lovingly. They separate and continued with the search for the Dwarves.
Within a few days the cross the Ravenshorn Mountains and encounter the Dwarves, shortly followed by finding Risca. They soon set out for the Westland to help the Elves.
Final Battles
With Raybur and the majority of the Dwarven force on the north end of the Sterelheim, Risca lead an advance party of 200 Dwarves on a scouting mission. Kinson and Mareth accompanied them. That night is the night Jerle Shannara lead his Elves in a desperate sneak attack on the Northland army. As the attack begun, it became apparent to the Dwarves that this was so. Risca quickly decided to support and engage the Northland encampment from the north end. In fierce fighting, Kinson and Mareth, with some Dwarves where separated from Risca. The two battled hard, and managed to survive the fierce night fighting.
Kinson joins the Elves in the pursuit of the Warlock Lord for the final battle. I the battle he fights bravely saving his friends on a number of occasions, though in the end he is nearly overcome defending them. Seeing Mareth struggling for his life, he is so wounded that is unable to help her. At that moment, her magic explodes and severely burns him, though he manages to survive.
Epilogue
At the end of the First King of Shannara, Kinson and Mareth eventually marry. Though he waits for the time when her magic will again explode out of her, she is good to her word and never again uses her magic. They make their home on an island in the Mermidon River northwest of Tyrsis. It became a huge commercial trading center. Years later, one of their descendants figures prominently in The Sword of Shannara, Shirl Ravenlock.
References
| Major Characters in First King of Shannara |
|---|
|
Bremen · Jerle · Kinson · Mareth · Risca · Tay · Minor Characters |
