History Literature / TheLightbringerSeries

*** Paryl is below subred, and its drafters can see both paryl and subred (making paryl drafters the only people who can see subred without necessarily being able to draft it). Paryl is powerful and versatile, if subtle. Paryl Luxin usually takes the form of a cloud or tendril. Paryl has the terrifying ability to insert small chunks into vital organs, leading to a death that superficially resembles a heart attack. With a little more skill, paryl drafters can temporarily paralyze limbs. Unlike the other colors, paryl is always available to draft as long as there is light of any kind. When a drafter opens their eyes to the degree required to draft paryl, their entire eye turns black. While in this state, the drafter can see through organic material, causing skeletons and, more importantly, concealed metal objects, to stick out. This means it's very easy for a paryl drafter to blind themself on accident from using paryl in conditions of abundant light. Paryl does not seem to influence the drafter's mind.

*** [[spoiler: Black:]] The purest BlackMagic in the setting, this color has many abilities, all of them nasty. It can incite madness, create semisentient willcastings, cause LaserGuidedAmnesia, and most relevantly, [[PowerParasite steal another drafter's abilities]], though this is heavily implied to be fatal to the target. In Luxin form, it [[spoiler: sucks up magic, and will drain any packed Luxin out of a drafter whose skin is pierced by it]]. Gavin's long-running hallucination that [[spoiler: his brother is still alive in the prisons he built in the Chromeria's heart]] is caused by this.

* TheChessmaster: The White and Gavin [[spoiler: the fake one]] both have hints of this. The Color Prince and [[spoiler: Andross Guile]] have more than shades.
* AChildShallLeadThem: Played brutally straight by the False Prism's War, where the leaders of each side were under twenty years old.

* GenderRestrictedAbility: Played with. Superchromacy is the ability to detect extremely subtle differences in colors, allowing much finer control of Luxin. Using the perfect shade of Luxin allows the drafter to draft objects that will persist longer than the draftee's concentration; we this used in the Chromeria's yellow tower, Brightwater Wall, the various skimmer designs, and a green bridge outside Rekton. While not exclusively gender locked, superchromats are ''drastically'' more common among women; about 50%, compared to less than 1% of men. Kip and Dazen Guile are both exceptions as male superchromats, which isn't surprising since they're so closely related.

** Additionally, the rate of super- and subchromacy being tied to gender is based on real life differences in human vision. Females generally have better color perception, and males are more likely to be colorblind. This likely evolved as a sort of low key DisabilitySuperpower; red-green colorblindness (the most common kind) has been shown to be advantageous in seeing through the camouflage of prey animals.

** Being forced to annul marriage (which was Andross' idea in the first place).

** About a third of the way through ''TheBlackPrison'', we learn that [[spoiler: Gavin is actually Dazen, and the real Gavin is still alive in an elaborate prison in the Prism's Tower.]]

** ''The Blood Mirror starts off early with the revelation that [[spoiler: Marissia was the late White's granddaughter and was never actually a slave.]]

** At the end of ''The Blinding Knife'', we learn that [[spoiler: Andross Guile]] has been acting so brazenly because he's been a red wight for most of the book. This was likely caused by his grief over [[spoiler: Felia's]] death in ''The Black Prism''.

* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler: Gavin]]. ''The Blood Mirror'' explores just how deep that mask goes.
* BerserkButton: Kip presses one for [[spoiler: Karris when he calls her mother]].

* BodyHorror: What happens to drafters when their halo breaks. They voluntarily do it to themselves. As in "replacing eyelids with blue glass" and "implanting solidified heat into the palms of their hands."

*** Paryl is below subred, and its drafters can see both peryl and subred (making paryl drafters the only people who can see subred without necessarily being able to draft it). Peryl is powerful and versatile, if subtle. Peryl Luxin usually takes the form of a cloud or tendril. Peryl has the terrifying ability to insert small chunks into vital organs, leading to a death that superficially resembles a heart attack. With a little more skill, paryl drafters can temporarily paralyze limbs. Unlike the other colors, paryl is always available to draft as long as there is light of any kind. When a drafter opens their eyes to the degree required to draft paryl, their entire eye turns black. While in this state, the drafter can see through organic material, causing skeletons and, more importantly, concealed metal objects, to stick out. This means it's very easy for a paryl drafter to blind themself on accident from using paryl in conditions of abundant light. Paryl does not seem to influence the drafter's mind.

* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler: The Blights]]

** [[spoiler: Liv Danavius]] seems like an exception, but she eventually becomes the avatar of the Old God Ferrilux.

** [[spoiler: Kip]] is revealed when it means that a corrupt Blackguard captain can use that knowledge to sabotage his chances at entry.
** [[spoiler: Andross]] let the world know he was a polychrome, but held back the full breadth of his abilities in order to trick potential foes into underestimating him. Borders on AssPull territory, considering how late his status is revealed.