Nil and Nether

Summary

Nil and Nether are young Wickan warlocks — a brother and sister pair — who serve alongside Coltaine during the Chain of Dogs and subsequently in Tavore Paran's army. They are practitioners of Wickan spirit magic, a shamanic tradition that draws power from ancestor spirits and the natural world rather than the formal warren system.

Though overshadowed by the more powerful Sormo E'nath, Nil and Nether are significant in their own right — they are the surviving witnesses of the Chain of Dogs and the carriers of Wickan magical tradition into the later books.

Arc by Book

Book 2: Deadhouse Gates

Nil and Nether serve as warlocks attached to Coltaine's 7th Army during the Chain of Dogs. They are young — barely adolescents — but their spirit magic provides vital support during the fighting retreat across Seven Cities. They work alongside Sormo E'nath, the more powerful warlock, serving as supporting mages.

After Sormo's death, Nil and Nether become the army's primary magical assets. The weight of this responsibility — placed on children who have already witnessed unimaginable carnage — is immense. They age visibly under the strain, their youth consumed by the war.

Nil and Nether survive the Chain of Dogs and reach Aren, carrying the memory of Coltaine's sacrifice.

Book 4: House of Chains

Nil and Nether join Tavore's army as Wickan representatives, providing magical support and a connection to the Chain of Dogs veterans. Their experience makes them prematurely old — they carry a weight of grief and trauma that belies their young years.

Book 6: The Bonehunters

They continue serving with the Bonehunters. Their Wickan spirit magic provides intelligence and protection.

Key Relationships

• Coltaine — the Fist they serve
• Sormo E'nath — the senior warlock who dies before them
• Tavore Paran — the Adjunct they subsequently serve
• Bult — Coltaine's uncle and Wickan commander
• Temul — fellow Wickan survivor of the Chain of Dogs

Appearances

See Also

• Chain of Dogs — the retreat they survive
• Childhood — children forced into war
• Magic — Wickan spirit magic
• Bonehunters — the army they join