Character profile: Lord Froylan, a despised villain (part 1)

Name: Lord Froylan
Race: Elf
Associated Clan: Igitur
Birthday: April 20th
Bloodtype: B
Sorcery: Fire
Phantom Beast: Levanant (resembles a two tailed lizard that is constantly enveloped by flames)
Occupation: Commander of the Äimite guard/Former convict/Former criminal/Former shepard

Known relatives: He murdered his entire family for unknown reasons

An elf with a hardened demeanor that causes a strong impression wherever he goes, Froylan is one of the main antagonists of An Ominous Book and also the character I enjoy writing about the most in the series.

Froylan doesn't make his grand appearance until the final third of An Ominous Book, but his name is repeated on several occasions creating a great buildup when the reader finally gets to meet him. And it's quite a sight! Tall, muscular build, attractive yet his face is hardened and cold, he always wears his medium length light blonde hair in a ponytail and parades everywhere with a short black cape.

Many characters in the series including Spaulding like to secretly make fun of his ridiculous cape, but Froylan causes such a strong sense of respect out of fear of his cruelty that nobody would ever dare say it to his face.

Froylan greets Spaulding with contempt on his face one late summer night when Lord Pieran brings him, Nelida and Herb to King Salman's palace. The guard mocks Spaulding's cuestionably poor taste of attire and forcibly invites him to ride on his Levanant to National Palace. While Froylan directs Spaulding to his assigned gustroom to rest before the morning meeting the following day, he takes every chance he can get to aggravate Spaulding sufficiently in the hopes he would have an excuse to arrest him. He even goes so far as making fun of Trevilin's misfortune but Spaulding shows sufficient restraint much to his disappointment.

The following morning, the three children are finally reunited and get to see beforehand the Elf King in his throne room during an official meeting. Like always, Froylan stands by his Master's side as his most trusted bodyguard and adviser. Spaulding is soon invited into the throne room and Froylan relishes the excruciating moment a guard punches Spaulding in the stomach as punishment for skipping the annual festival without a suitable excuse.

However, before Froylan could enjoy the sight of Spaulding's arrest, Master Lord Salman decides to punish him with poverty and unemployment for 10 years which causes him to lose his temper and protest. Salman doesn't relent and forces him to agree to the condition and allowing Spaulding to return to his castle in Tesafar with the three children for 6 months.

Several days later, Spaulding is discharged from the palace infirmary and greets Salman in a private guestroom where Froylan is patiently awaiting with an unsigned edict. Without showing any emotion, he delivers the scroll to Spaulding who signs it allowing his clan to be paid a decreased dowry in exchange for helping the children to return home with their nobility titles intact. The second Salman signs the edict; Froylan grabs the scroll and leaves the room without ushering any words.

The following day, Spaulding and the children are ready to return to Tesafar but Froylan takes the opportunity to mock the obstinate hero of the story and inform him that he was going to personally bring the children back to Ayrtain. Spaulding was disappointed by the plan but tried to remain polite with the guard.

6 months later, Froylan arrives with an annoyed look on his face hoping the two week trip to the border with the children would soon end. At this point it starts to be become fairly obvious that even though Froylan is the most feared and respected citizen of the Elf Kingdom after Master Lord Salman, the Elf King occasionally orders him to perform duties he is morally against but he obliges nonetheless. After exchanging some extra insults with Spaulding, Froylan leaves the city with the three children.

The following summer, Spaulding is forced to visit National Palace for the summer festival and he is greeted by Salman and Froylan. Spaulding is invited to a guestroom where Froylan eagerly burns two letters that were written by Richard and Herb in front of the distressed elf's face. As part of the conditions of his punishment, whenever the children wrote letters to Spaulding, the guard is obliged to confiscate all correspondence and Froylan was tasked with burning the letters in front of his face.

While this sounds terrible enough, Froylan becomes even worse in the second novel Separation.

Are you curious enough to get to meet Lord Froylan and see if he is as evil as he seems? Get a preview copy of An Ominous Book HERE.

Some other time, I'll continue with Froylan's character profile with his many appearances in the sequel books.