Kharis
Kharis is a major supporting character and a central figure among the Eldrim in The Metalwood Saga. Serving as the Bombardment Mentor and the leader of the Hunters in the village of Sylrantheas, he is a master archer and a powerful bladedancer.
Introduced early in the series as being four hundred and nineteen years old, Kharis is a deeply empathetic and grounded leader who often clashes with the strict, uncompromising nature of the elven Council. Over the course of the saga, he suffers immense personal tragedies, enduring the deaths of his brother and his son, which temporarily break his spirit before he ultimately finds peace.
Appearance and Personality
Kharis is consistently described as a commanding, physically fit presence. He is "tall and dark, lean and well-built," moving with a "controlled and graceful" form. Arra notes that he is "definitely good looking, for an older elf," and his son, Fenian, shares his athletic, stately build. He is typically seen wearing the Hunter uniform of green and brown long-sleeved shirts and pants.
His voice is "deep, steady, resonant," carrying an "authority but also a quiet warmth". He projects a strong mentor presence; his tone is fair-minded, patient, and approachable, but never casual.
Personality-wise, Kharis is the moral compass of the Eldrim Council. Unlike his childhood friend Silanar, Kharis harbors deep sympathy for humanity and openly questions the morality of the Sundering. He is not overly religious, admitting he has never put much stock in the mysticism of the Twins. Following the destruction of his home and the loss of his family, his appearance and personality shift drastically: he becomes "ashen" and "downcast," looking "far more grizzled than usual" with a gaunt face. During this period, he relies heavily on alcohol to cope with his grief, his words slurring as he drowns his sorrows in beer and whiskey.
Biography
Early Life and the Sundering
Kharis grew up in Sylrantheas alongside his brother Lhoris and his close friends Silanar, Orist, and Orym. During the days leading up to the Ascension and the Sundering, Kharis and Lhoris were in San Francisco drinking at a bar when the catastrophic Typhoon Velma struck. They sought shelter in the American Cancer Society building, miraculously surviving its structural collapse.
In the aftermath of the storm, Orym secretly revealed to Kharis that he was a member of the Cothellon and that his faction planned to move the planet across the galaxy using a device that would destroy the Earth. Disillusioned by both Orym's betrayal and the Eldrim's impending genocide of humanity, Kharis sought out Syndra—the tavern owner he had pined over for two years—and asked her out just hours before the world ended. Syndra kissed him and agreed to a date, though she tragically died of cancer in the years following the Sundering.
The Mentor of Sylrantheas
Three hundred years later, Kharis served on the Council of Sylrantheas as the Bombardment Mentor. He trained young elves in archery and survival, taking a special interest in the magic-less Arra and her best friend Imra, encouraging Arra to trust her own strength.
When the Remnant humans led by the god Magona began aggressively expanding, Kharis led the Hunters into battle. He fiercely protected his students and his village, fighting alongside his son Fenian.
War and Tragic Loss
Kharis's life was shattered during the escalating conflicts with the Cothellon and the Remnant. During a brutal assault on the village, his brother Lhoris was shot and beaten to death. Kharis himself was badly wounded, saved only by the sacrifice of his friend Orist, who died pulling Kharis from the burning rubble of a collapsed roof.
The violence culminated in the death of his beloved son, Fenian. Overwhelmed by the loss of his family and the destruction of Sylrantheas, a deeply depressed Kharis retreated to a pub in Pano Sylrantheas. While drinking heavily with Allain, Kharis famously burst into tears, admitting that the worst part of losing his home, his son, and his brother was that he had also lost his father's ancient bow.
Peace
Despite his devastating grief, Kharis ultimately survived the apocalyptic conflicts. In the aftermath of the war against the Twins, he found a measure of peace and happiness. He attended the final memorial ceremony alongside Meriel, Syndra's sister and the new Council Leader, holding her hand as they honored the memories of the dead, including Fenian, Lhoris, and Silanar.
Powers and Abilities
- Bladedancer: Kharis is a master bladedancer, Aligned with the magic of war and projectiles. By burning primewood, he can guide the flight of his arrows with lethal, impossible precision, or wield knives with devastating speed in hand-to-hand combat.
- Master Archer: Even without magic, Kharis is an unparalleled archer. He wields a massive six-and-a-half-foot longbow passed down from his father, and teaches the discipline of archery to the next generation of Eldrim.
Key Relationships
- Fenian: His son. Kharis loves him deeply and is fiercely protective of him, allowing Fenian to fight alongside him even after Fenian's leg is severely crippled. Fenian's death absolutely shatters Kharis, plunging him into a deep depression.
- Lhoris: His brother. Though Lhoris is bigger and they bicker constantly about things like the taste of human beer, they share a strong brotherly bond.
- Silanar: His oldest friend and Council Leader. While they respect each other immensely, Kharis frequently challenges Silanar's ruthless pragmatism, arguing passionately for the lives of humans during the Sundering.
- Orym: His childhood friend. When Orym defects to the Cothellon, Kharis is deeply wounded by the betrayal, though he keeps Orym's secret in the desperate hope that Orym can stop the Ascension.
- Arra: His student. Kharis is one of the few Mentors who truly believes in Arra, pushing her to overcome her insecurities about lacking magic and molding her into a deadly Hunter.
- Syndra and Meriel: Kharis harbored a secret love for the tavern owner Syndra for years before finally asking her out on the eve of the Sundering. Centuries after her death from cancer, he eventually finds romantic peace with her pragmatic sister, Meriel.