Charlemund
SupportingCharlemund is a tall, imposing man in middle age whose strong athletic build still carries the vigor and grace of his youth as a champion fencer. He possesses a square face, evenly set brown eyes, and clean-shaven cheeks that convey authority and watchfulness. He is most often seen in elaborate purple robes of office trimmed with fine furs and silk, a round gilded hat upon his head, and fingers heavy with gold and jeweled rings that mark his high station in the Kresim Church.
Charlemund debuts in Promise of Blood as the Arch-Diocel of the Kresim Church, a physically imposing and politically savvy figure whose purple robes and gilded regalia mask a ruthless ambition. As a member of Field Marshal Tamas's coup council, he initially appears as an ally against the monarchy, but his true colors emerge as a traitor who conspires with the enemy to undermine the new regime for personal power and religious dominance. His schemes culminate in a dramatic confrontation that exposes the depths of his betrayal, forcing Tamas and his allies to neutralize him permanently. Across the trilogy, Charlemund represents the entrenched religious old guard that the powder mages must dismantle, his fall illustrating the brutal cost of revolution.
Physical Description
Charlemund is a tall, imposing man in middle age whose strong athletic build still carries the vigor and grace of his youth as a champion fencer. He possesses a square face, evenly set brown eyes, and clean-shaven cheeks that convey authority and watchfulness. He is most often seen in elaborate purple robes of office trimmed with fine furs and silk, a round gilded hat upon his head, and fingers heavy with gold and jeweled rings that mark his high station in the Kresim Church.
Evolution
Powder Mage Trilogy 01 - Promise of Blood
Charlemund is a tall, imposing man in middle age whose strong athletic build still carries the vigor and grace of his youth as a champion fencer. He possesses a square face, evenly set brown eyes, and clean-shaven cheeks that convey authority and watchfulness. He is most often seen in elaborate purple robes of office trimmed with fine furs and silk, a round gilded hat upon his head, and fingers heavy with gold and jeweled rings that mark his high station in the Kresim Church.
- Introduced as the Arch-Diocel on Tamas's council, leveraging his church authority to support the coup against King Manhouch.
- Revealed to be secretly conspiring with the Brudania-Gurla Trading Company and royalist forces to sabotage the new government.
- Attempts to assassinate or discredit key powder mages during the chaos following the coup.
- Captured after his betrayal is exposed and faces justice at the hands of Tamas's inner circle.
Relationships
Initially a political ally on the coup council, Charlemund's relationship with Tamas rapidly deteriorates into outright rivalry and betrayal as the arch-diocel prioritizes his own power and the church's interests over the revolution; by the end of the first book, Tamas views him as a dangerous traitor who must be eliminated.
Key Events
Book Appearances
Powder Mage Trilogy 01 - Promise of Blood
First appears Ch 4