Jannik

### Additional Desc.

He has “a face utterly covered in freckles.” He plays lute, pipe, harp, drum, and other instruments— but his true talent is his tenor voice.

## Family Members

### Additions

He is very knowledgeable of Northern Alshar, throwing his assertion of being from Vore into doubt. After Minalin (and the other High Magi) rescue him, he tells them the history of each fief and barony they pass through, and rumors of who may still be holding out against the Gurvani. He is the one who coined the term “soulless,” and, after he informs the magi of what he heard in Terrihall, a plan to counterattack the Dead God’s forces is set in motion.It is also Jannik’s idea to attack Duke Lenguin’s vanity —by threatening to pay the various jongleurs, minstrels, whores, and innkeepers to sing/tell of the insidious Gurvani magic that is keeping the Duke in a perpetual state of indecisiveness— in order to force him out of the poorly-defensible city of Vorone, and to Timberwatch.

## Book Appearances

### Books

Warmnage, Arcanist

Minalan found Jannik pretending to be one of the Soulless for protection in the Penumbra and helped him to escape.

## Personality and Characteristics

He introduced himself as Jannik the Jolly, and is a young man with curly red hair, a flair for the dramatic, and a lovely tenor voice. Before the war, he made a living by touring Northern Alshar as a jongleur— after the initial invasion, he is rescued from Terrihall by Minalin the Spellmonger, and six other magi. Grateful, he tells the group everything he can remember from his tenure as Garkesku’s bard.

## Early years

Raised and trained in Vore, then took to the road. The further west he traveled the more coin he made. He spent most of his time in the northern wilderlands where few people saw minstrels. (per his initial introduction in *Warmage* based on what he told Minalan at the time of their first meeting.

But in *Arcanist* his true history was discovered by Minalan.

## Summary

### Warmage

While touring the penumbra, Minalan, along with his men, discovered Jannik at Terrihall, pretending to be one of Shereul’s Soulless servants as a means of relative safety (until he could make an escape.) When Jannik saw Minalan's group and realized they were not branded with the mark of the Soulless, he approached them and begged a boon.

*“My lords, my name is Jannik the Jolly, jongleur of renown . . . and you would make me among the happiest of men if you would get me the hell out of this evil land and away from that fucking madman!”*

For months while at Terrihall, Jannik overheard plans and situation reports given to Garkesku— all of which proved invaluable to Minalan and the other High Magi. Most notable was the location and purpose of the main Gurvani force, which was hidden to the far north and out of harm’s way. In relaying what he heard, Jannik The Jolly gave Min the necessary tools to execute The Battle of Timberwatch, which damaged the Dead God’s plans in a way that took the Gurvani years to overcome.

With Jannik’s guidance, Minalin forms a plan to force Duke Lenguin (and the thousands of men he commands) out of Vorone and onto the battlefield, where they will be of the most use. Jannik suggests attacking Lenguin’s vanity as a way to motivate him into action— and it works splendidly!

Jannik also coined the term “Soulless” for those few humans who chose to work under Shereul after slaughtering five kinsmen on the sacrificial stone. Branded with a black skull, they toil on farms all over the Penumbra. Additionally, he informed the magi of other (unbranded) human collaborators, many of whom established themselves in the most heavily fortified keeps, awaiting instructions. This intelligence plays an important role in how The Order responds to Shereul’s ongoing invasion, and signals a notable, if disturbing, shift in the war.

Jannik is present during The Battle of Timberwatch. He anticipated the boredom and loss of morale during the long wait on that first day— so he organized a team of minstrels, jongleurs, young priests and pretty priestesses to spread good cheer (and fortifying cups of wine) among the ranks.

### Arcanist

Last true scion of an ancient family of minstrels Jannik has been working as a spy in the employ of Mavone.

Main contributor to The Great Emancipation, due to scouting out the majority of the slave camps.

## References

1. ↑ Mancour, Terry. Warmage: Book Two Of The Spellmonger Series (p. 368). Kindle Edition.