Ctuchik

**Ctuchik** was, along with Zedar and Urvon, a Disciple of Torak and a sorcerer. Despite this, the three of them were enemies. Through the ages, Ctuchik had been involved with many schemes to bring about war and dissent in the West, most of them centered on Arendia. His servant Chamdar was the one who usually put his plans into action. Chamdar had also been hunting for the heir to the throne of Riva on Ctuchik's command, who wanted the entire Rivan line to die so that Belgarion would not be born.

When Zedar crossed into Cthol Murgos from Nyissa after having stolen the Orb of Aldur from Riva, Ctuchik was there and stole the Orb and the boy Errand. Zedar escaped. Ctuchik returned to Rak Cthol and awaited the arrival of Belgarath, Garion, and their companions.

In a tour of his chambers, which were formed in a turret carved out of the mountain's side, while looking for the magician, the group saw the many vices that Ctuchik engaged in: wealth, power, torture, perversions, and unspeakable rites. Garion and Polgara stayed behind in a torture chamber while Belgarath and Silk searched out the other such rooms. When the two returned, Silk made a comment about Cthuchik's exotic vices. They found the magician in a plain room. He is described as wearing a hooded black robe, with "*hair and beard were a yellowed white and were very long. His face was deeply lined, and his eyes glittered in their sockets. It was a face filled with an ancient and profound evil. Cruelty and arrogance had eroded all traces of decency or humanity from it, and a towering egotism had twisted it into a perpetual sneer of contempt for every other living thing.*" He was leaning over a table, looking at the Orb. Errand was also there. Belgarath and Ctuchik began a battle of wills, in an attempt to destroy each other.

The Orb fell onto the floor and Errand picked it up to present it to Garion. At this moment, Garion had a flicker in his mind of Ctuchik's fear at what would happen if Garion took up the Orb. Polgara warned Garion not to touch the Orb, but that did not matter. Ctuchik willed the Orb to "Be not", which was the one thing a sorcerer could not do, according to the rules of the Universe, who would not allow any of her creations to be unmade. Hence, when one attempted to unmake a thing, the gathered will to do that had no outside release and, instead, was released on the person.

Belgarath evinced strong contempt for Ctuchik and his skills as a sorcerer, using the term "magician" as an insult in referring to him. Belgarath observed that the training Torak gave his disciples was far less comprehensive than Aldur gave to his disciples. Whether Ctuchik had advanced in his abilities, or Belgarath was originally mistaken is unclear, but by the time of *The Belgariad*, Ctuchik was able to hold his own at least to some degree in a no holds barred battle of sorcery with Belgarath (though it should be noted the writing at least appears to imply that Ctuchik was having a somewhat harder time of the duel). Polgara stopped Garion from interfering in the battle, admonishing him that they were "at the absolute limit" and any interference would "destroy them both".

In *Belgarath the Sorcerer*, we are informed that Ctuchik was once one of the Chandim and one of the more shrewd disciples. His former form earned him scorn from some of Aldur's Disciples, and they alluded to his limitations as a result of that status. He was the one who organized the search for Belgarath at Cthol Mishrak while Torak raged.